Wing and a Prayer
by njborba
Summary: An FTL glitch causes Lee and Kara to end up on Earth's doorstep, but finding the thirteenth colony is merely the beginning of their journey.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar__ Galactica_ universe.  
**Note:** This starts off a littlle slow but there's much more to come. Please enjoy.

**Wing and a Prayer  
****Part 1**

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

Through the forward window, Lee watched as a sea of Raptors morphed back into shape. And the stars around them re-solidified. 

There was just one jump left now.

They were on their way back to Caprica to rescue survivors of the Cylon holocaust. And the admiral had thought it a good idea for him to be a part of Starbuck's one woman crusade. Lee got the feeling it had more to do with babysitting than anything else. She hadn't exactly asked permission on her first trip back.

Lee was not overly amused at the prospect of landing on his war-torn home planet to help rescue Kara's lover. In theory, he knew it was the right thing to do; rescuing those they'd left behind. He just couldn't seem to keep his mind from wandering to thoughts of the woman who sat beside him in the cockpit. Couldn't help but let his thoughts drift to the hope that maybe this _dead_ guy she was so hung up on, really _was_ dead. And he didn't much like himself for those thoughts.

Things hadn't been good between them in months. They'd come to some form of understanding, but everything had changed after the Cylon raider Scar and his gunshot wound on Cloud 9. He didn't know what to do about the distance between them. So he attempted to move on, at least as much as he could. Dating Dee was easy. She was kind, pretty and didn't take off on hair-brained missions to rescue guys she'd only ever spent a few days with.

And just like that, his thoughts returned to Kara. Kara the enigma. His torture and his delight. She wasn't easy at all.

Being Kara Thrace's friend was one of the hardest things he'd done in his life so far. In the past it hadn't been so bad. Back before the colonies were destroyed, before Zak left them. Kara had been his friend and Zak's girl, which was fine because his brother was happy and she was happy and that made Lee happy. But everything had changed when his little brother died.

It had changed again after he and his father had learned of Kara's hand in that death. But not enough to make much of a difference over the long haul. And the fact that she'd been with Baltar still pissed him off sometimes. But he could get past that too. As annoying as the doctor was, Lee could forgive. Because Lee knew he had just as much to do with that unfortunate event as Kara and Baltar had. His fears kept pushing her aside just as much as she was avoiding him.

But the realization that she was risking so much, traveling back to Cylon occupied Caprica, in hopes of finding a Pyramid player turned freedom fighter. It bothered him. It ate at him because he wondered if there was more to it than just a few days, nights, whatever it was they'd had. He hated to think that there might really be more to the Pyramid player than just a bit of fun.

All of his thoughts collided, contradicted each other and served to only confuse his feelings further. So he sat back, kept his mouth shut and waited. Listened to the soft hums of the Raptor. Watched the stars shine, wondering if they were just being born or had already died years ago leaving only the hint of their light behind. And he listened to her. Honed in on her voice and let it flow over him like water.

"This last one's going to take us right into the planet's upper atmosphere, so be sharp people," Kara instructed the Raptor fleet. "We jump on my mark…"

Her breathing was calm. Hands steady at the controls. Face a mask of concentration. Lee could see the thrill of adventure in her eyes. The twitch of expected danger that creased her forehead. Lips full and pursed with anticipation. He looked away and closed his eyes for a second, trying once more to push her out of his thoughts. It didn't help much.

Lee glanced over his shoulder and took stock of the situation. He spotted their ECO. Helo was at his station, monitoring the dradis. Behind him sat the two things making their trip possible. Firstly, the Cylon. Kara didn't need much help flying so Lee had been put in charge of guarding their prisoner, rather than have a marine present. It was still hard to look upon the Sharon Cylon without seeing a pistol in her hand as she pumped two rounds into his father. But he was trying.

At the moment she didn't look deadly, or scarred, or… anything really. Her expression was impassive. Sort of calm. Somewhat cold. She'd seemed willing enough to help them in the past but on this mission something had been off from the get-go. He suspected it had to do with the death of the Cylon half-bread but Lee didn't want to allow his thoughts off on that tangent.

Hooked to the Cylon was a large conglomeration of technology that had linked their entire Raptor fleet together. In conjunction with Sharon's computerized innards, it was making their trip faster and easier than Colonial FTL alone would have allowed. And, up till now, they'd thankfully only lost one Raptor. Lee hoped it stayed that way.

"…Mark."

Three things happened in quick succession after Kara's voice faded out. The sensation of being squeezed into tiny particles smaller than star stuff was not unfamiliar, but the high pitched scream of their Cylon companion was. It wasn't supposed to be possible to hear anything as the FTL was engaged, yet her moan of agony echoed through the ship. And if that wasn't bad enough, sparks of golden fire were shooting from the components Sharon was hooked to.

Something was very wrong.

"Frak!" Kara yelped as they came out of the rough jump. She spun around the best one could while strapped to a Raptor's pilot seat. "Helo, what did we hit?" her tone was demanding but curious.

"Nothing," Helo's eyes scanned the dradis. No ships. No Cylons. No Colonial fleet. No other Raptors…

"What hit us then?" Lee chimed in.

"Nothing, it's…" The ECO never got a chance to finish.

The ship jolted as they all felt space close in on them again. Hands clenched tightly to consoles and seats. Stomachs twisted and turned until the black void of space grew stars again. A split second later, before they could get a bearing, it was all happening again… over and over.

Three bodies felt the pulse of an FTL drive in flux as they jumped repeatedly. The Cylon, however, had ceased to feel a thing. Sharon made no noise because she was unconscious, slumped over in her seat. At least Helo hoped like hell she was merely unconscious as they pulled out of another jump.

"It's the FLT drive, I don't know how or why but we can't stop jumping," Karl managed to get the words out before the familiar, now dreaded, sensation hit them all again.

"Lordsss…" even as she was sucked into FTL again Kara was still frantically trying to control, something… anything.

They pulled out and Kara gathered her focus for a second. She hated flying Raptors. They were overgrown garbage dumpsters with very little maneuverability. For a simple rescue mission they were fine enough, but if any Cylon Raiders showed up at the moment, they wouldn't stand much of a chance. "Thrusters aren't responding. Navigational control is sluggish, at best…" her voice trailed off again into the faster-than-light folds of space.

Lee watched as the stars collapsed in on them yet again. He'd seen a lot of crap in the last year or so since the Cylons first attacked. He'd been shot at, climbed through muddy terrain in the hopes that an ancient arrow would get them to Earth, said his prayers as he flew through a Cylon Tylium mining compound. And lived to tell the tale each time. Even fighting Cylons every 33 minutes wasn't so bad. At least it was predictable.

Whatever it was happening now, it scarred him. Knowing the situation was always half the battle. With facts one could calculate risk and take action. The unknown was far too infinite to dare think about controlling. Lee liked control. He liked the stability of knowing were he stood, which was why he still couldn't understand why he liked Kara. She was none of those things. Yet he was still drawn to her like a flame he'd been told not to touch.

Then, just as suddenly as it had all started, it stopped.

Silence reigned for a few moments as the three of them prepared for another jolt. Eyes flicked glances between Major, Lieutenant and Captain. No one dared to declare their ordeal over just yet. Finally, with cautious movement, Kara collected herself the best she could. She faced forward and tried to tap life into a flickering console.

"How many jumps Karl?" Kara called out.

The ECO held his helmeted head in his hands as he tried to focus on the blurry screen in front of him. "I don't know. It's hard to tell with all the interference…" he felt more than a little woozy.

"Best guess?" Lee prompted the man as he tried to steady the swaying of his own stomach.

"Close to thirty," Karl made a small shrugging gesture from his seat. "Maybe more. Probably more," he groaned as his head ached and he longed to tend to Sharon. "My insides feel scrambled." Not quite as bad as the radiation sickness he'd felt on Caprica, but bad enough.

"Agathon, wait until we find a parking spot before you soil my deck," Kara warned. She showed no outward signs of feeling ill. Plenty dizzy but not letting it affect her efforts to determine all facets of what was going on. Business first. "We don't know how long we might be stuck in this thing," she added.

"If it's more than three hours, we're dead," Karl's monotone voice replied to her words as he finally unbelted himself and went to Sharon. "Life support was damaged at some point during all those jumps. Everything is fried," he relayed as he propped the unconscious woman's head up and tried to search for signs of life in her limp body.

Kara returned focus on her own console readings, which were still in constant flicker. They were only showing bits and pieces of information, all in a mess that was hard to decipher. She blinked back the nausea that started to roll in her stomach. They needed clear heads now if they hoped to figure out what was going on.

"Three hours?" Lee looked over at her, slightly alarmed by the prospect of death looming so near.

"We've lost main power which directly maintains life support function," she began to explain. "What ever is left in this Raptor, about three hours or so, is all we have," Kara didn't like flying the things but she made it a point to know as much about Raptors as she did about Vipers. Truth be told, most of her knowledge came from hours on end of disciplinary induced work assignments served out on Tyrol's deck.

"Auxiliary power?" Lee questioned.

"Not really. We have battery back up," she informed him. "Which means working consoles," Kara glanced down at her flickering screen. "Sort of," she mumbled. "And limited radio frequency. Neither or which will last for a very long time," she concluded.

"Great," Lee sighed heavily as he glanced behind to see that Helo had removed Sharon from the seat harness and had laid her out on the deck. His eyes aimed forward again. "We've got no power and an unconscious Cylon. Doesn't seem we'll be going anywhere in the near future. Any idea where we are?"

As if in answer to Lee's question, a soft static of noise filled the main cabin of the Raptor. Kara and Lee turned their heads to the rear of the ship, questioning gazes pointed toward Karl. Helo reluctantly removed himself from the floor and Sharon. He made his way back to the communications console. One green light flicked on and off slowly.

"What the…" Helo tweaked a few controls. A second later the low tones of what sounded like music floated around the ships interior. "Piano?" the lieutenant shrugged as he eyed Apollo and Starbuck.

"Must be picking up some stray signals. Radio waves from the Colonies have been bouncing all around space for decades, are we anywhere near Caprica?" Kara asked with a hopeful tone. They'd been so close to the end of their trip to Caprica. She'd been prepared for Cylons, even prepared to learn of Sam's death if that were the case. She hadn't been prepared to be stuck with Karl, Lee and a Cylon in a tiny Raptor with no power.

"Dradis is still frakked. I can't get a bearing on our position," Helo replied. The classical music continued, climbing to a crescendo. "I'm not even sure how we're picking up any signal. Battery back up usually only lasts a minute or two, enough time to send off a distress beacon," Karl reported, which he had done the second they'd stopped for more than two seconds.

"Raptors were equipped with a dual back-up system for longer range scouting missions. But we haven't been using the auxiliary power feeds due to conservation efforts and the fact that we haven't really needed to go on any long scouting missions," Kara rambled off. "Must be a glitch or something," she shrugged.

"A glitch with a nice melody," Lee joked, grinning at her as the crescendo ended. He had to break up the seriousness somehow or else he was likely to go stir crazy real quick. He'd never been fond of tight spaces, flying a Viper being the only exception. In which case he was in control and free to roam the immensity of sky and space.

Kara felt her lips curl a little as well. She always did manage to find herself in hopeless situations where there was usually nothing to do but laugh or cry. She wasn't about to let Karl or Lee see her cry. Thus, a spurt of bubbly laughter erupted. It was infectious and Lee grinned broader. Here they were, stuck somewhere in the vastness of space with no power, listening to phantom piano music, and still they were able to smile. Lee had to hope that was a good sign. Either that or their oxygen was already running low.

Helo disregarded their jovial interaction and returned to Sharon's side. They all listened as the piano strains slowly died out. The music was quickly replaced by a series of segments that sounded like conversation of some sort. It wasn't any type of language they'd ever heard before and it seemed to change every few seconds. A bit of static began to garble some of the broadcast and they figured the battery was finally going. But one very important message made it through a few seconds later.

All smiles and laughter abruptly ended as the clearness of perfect Colonial English filled the Raptor. Three words that undoubtedly would change all their lives yet again were spoken…

_"Welcome to Earth."_

* * *

To Be Continued… 


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe.

**Wing and a Prayer  
****Part 2**

**By  
****N. J. Borba**

* * *

The message continued with intermittent static.

Lee listened intently as strains of new music played. Kara had one ear tuned into the message and one eye on their forward view screen. Karl was torn between wanting to return to Sharon's side and continuing to monitor the incoming signal. And none of them could get those three words out of their head. _Welcome to Earth._

"Do you really think we're anywhere near Earth?" Karl finally dared to put the question out there.

"We must be fairly close if we're picking up this transmission," Lee reasoned.

Kara shook her head. "This is probably all some elaborate hoax put on by the Cylons," she scoffed. "No way could we be near Earth." Sure, she always believed they'd find Earth one day but to just stumble upon it was unlikely.

"Thirty jumps," Lee reminded her, taking his attention away from the recording for a second.

"Probably more," Karl repeated. "It only took seven jumps to get us back to Caprica, or should have taken seven…" he finally abandoned his station again as he glanced down at Sharon. He settled himself on the floor; his back pressed against a solid surface as he cradled the woman's head in his lap.

Lee took up position at Helo's station and regarded the back of Kara's head. "We could be just about anywhere, especially since the Cylon was hooked into our FTL. Why not Earth?" he questioned.

"What, we just got lucky?" she turned around long enough to roll her eyes at him.

A frown took up residence on his face as he returned to the console. Images started popping up as the music continued. "I'm getting some sort of a video feed here," his words caught Kara's full attention. "Looks like forests, oceans, buildings…" Lee pointed them all out as she came over and sat beside him on the small seat.

Kara felt her stomach roll, and it wasn't residual effects from their extended jump. "What is this?" her words were a soft escape of breath. She had to wonder why the Cylons would go to so much trouble to trick them into thinking they'd found Earth. It didn't make much sense. They were already dead in the water, so to speak. If the overgrown toasters were anywhere close, why didn't they just come blow them out of the sky?

"I don't think this is a hoax," Lee uttered as he watched even more new data stream across the screen. The occasional blip of power loss broke up several lines of code, but he recognized exactly what the data was. "These are star charts," he realized. "Maps showing us exactly where Earth is," fear and excitement tinged his words.

Still the doubtful one, Kara crossed her arms. "Now if we only knew where _we_ were in relation," she wasn't ready to start waving the, _we found Earth_, banner just yet. But after several minutes spent pouring over more data, she was starting to become a convert. "Lords, I think we're closer than we realize," she finally stated.

"How do you figure?" Lee asked, curious about her sudden change of heart. He'd been scanning the same data but hadn't come up with much of anything yet.

Her right index finger slid across the star charts that were being displayed. Kara thanked the Gods that somehow they were still able to pick up the feed. It didn't seem possible but their battery back up was lasting a heck of a lot longer than it should have. She wondered if Tyrol had tweaked a few things before the Caprica mission. He must have been anticipating trouble.

She traced an invisible line along a solar system of nine planets that orbited a single sun. "There, that one," Kara stopped on an image of a large planet with orange-brown cloud cover.

"I don't think that's Earth," Lee hated to rain on her parade, especially since she finally seemed interested. But, from what he'd seen of Earth, it was covered in blue oceans and milky white cloud cover, much the same as Caprica and a few of the other Colonies.

"No," Kara easily agreed. "But it means we're close. The eye…" she trailed off as her gaze moved back to the Raptor's front view screen. The small image she'd spotted earlier had grown larger as they drifted.

"What eye?" Lee wasn't following her line of thought.

"That red spot there," she continued to point at the screen without looking at it. Her eyes never left the view she had into space. "It reminds me of something, some image I've been seeing since I was a kid." She paused for a moment. It was rare she spoke of anything from childhood but their current situation had brought up a whole bag of odd memories. "In my drawings there were more colors but it's that same swirling pattern," she continued. "It always reminded me of an eye for some reason… the eye of…"

"Jupiter," Lee interrupted her, still focused on the read outs in front of him. "That's the name of the planet according to this data. But how is this important? It's a gas giant, clearly not capable of supporting human life and your eye is just a large storm…"

Kara's hand clamped down on his shoulder, stopping his stream of words. She deftly turned his body so that he was facing the view she'd been starring at for a while. "It's important because we've been floating by it for a while now," she pointed toward the large planet.

"Lords," a whisper escaped as he watched the planet up close and personal. Even after all the things he'd seen in the universe, the planet was still awe inspiring.

Karl's head poked around the side of the bulkhead he was propped against. He'd been following their conversation closely and wanted to know exactly what was going on. His eyes went wide as he too witnessed their first look at a planetary body within Earth's solar system.

"Does it say how far Earth is from Jupiter?" Kara broke the silence, realizing they were running out of time. All her doubts had pretty much vanished and the infancy of a plan was beginning to take hold. She needed more information. And fast.

Lee reluctantly removed his eyes from the planet and scrolled through more data until he found her answer. "Approximately five astronomical units," he sighed. "That's still pretty far. Easy enough with a quick FTL, but…"

"We're not even going to attempt that," Kara quickly finished the thought.

"Not that we could," Helo added, recalling the fact that their FTL was damaged too badly. He gently stroked Sharon's cheek, hoping she'd come around soon. There was no doubt in his mind that Kara had some sort of plan brewing it that crazy head of hers, and they could use all the help they could get.

"Lee, do you have the exact coordinates from here to Earth?" Kara's head was buzzing with anticipation now.

"Right here," he pointed to the screen.

"No, in your head Lee!" she snapped. "If we lost this data-feed could you chart it from memory?"

He tried not to let her brusqueness get to him. "I think so, probably."

Lee sounded a little uncertain but Kara knew him well enough to know that was just self-doubt. When push came to shove she'd rely on Lee's _probably_ over anyone else's absolute guarantee. "Good, then close it down," she instructed as she moved toward the front console.

"Close the feed?" he questioned. "Kara this is important information, the first mentions of Earth any Colonial officer has ever…"

She spun around and stared him down. "We need to conserve all power sources. So shut the frakking thing down now!"

He didn't need any further argument. With a few quick sequences, Lee had successfully powered down the last of their functioning devices. "Okay, we're officially shut down. Care to fill me in on what sort of out-of-the-box idea you've got going on here?" he was growing more than a little tired of being pushed around by her.

"Not yet," Kara brushed him off. "I need some help here," she looked up and bypassed Lee's angry face. "Helo, I need a hand," she called to her friend.

Helo reluctantly disentangled himself from Sharon, moved past a pissed-off looking Lee and shimmied down in front of the console where Kara had stationed herself. "What are we doing?"

"Help me get this panel off," she instructed, passing him a wrench. As they worked, Kara could tell that Helo's thoughts were preoccupied. It didn't take too many guesses to figure out exactly why. "So, how is she?"

"Still unconscious," Karl replied as he loosened a bolt and set it aside. "I can't figure out how she got us here, to Earth." He didn't care to mention how worried he was. He'd just lost a daughter. He couldn't think about loosing Sharon too.

"Me either," Kara replied, focused on her task. "She probably had no idea where we were headed, just like the rest of us. In the right place at the right time. She seems to do a lot of that lately," Kara noted, recalling how much use Sharon had been in the past. Kara wouldn't say she fully trusted the Cylon but she didn't all together despise her. "She'll be all right."

"Yeah," the lieutenant nodded, grateful for the words. "So, what are you up to, Kara?" Karl turned the conversation around on her. He briefly glanced over his shoulder. "And are you planning to inform the Major at some point? He looks about ready to hit you," he noted.

Kara's jaw tightened as she set her wrench down and pulled on the panel. "Wouldn't be the first time," she grunted as the panel gave way. "As for my plan… I don't know, Karl. Just a hunch I have," she stuck her head inside the Raptor's large power supply hold. "Yes!" her triumphant cry, a few minutes later, reached Lee's ears.

He and Karl both looked confused as she crawled out from underneath the console. "The next time I see Tyrol, I'm gonna give him a big kiss on the lips," she grinned from ear to ear.

"Should we be jealous?" Karl teased.

Lee blushed slightly. "What are you doing?" he asked her, quickly returning to command mode.

Kara didn't waste any further time. She crawled back under the console and set to work right away. "Somehow the chief managed to disconnect the auxiliary power feed without actually removing it," her muffled voice informed the other two. "The coil is still intact. Since it wasn't connected it wasn't affected by the overload that fried main control. All I have to do is reconnect it and we have power again," she concluded.

"How much power?" Karl asked the important question as he returned to check on Sharon.

"Should be good for about a two hour thruster burn at full speed," Kara revealed. She had a feeling Lee knew exactly what that would mean for them.

True to form, "Just enough to get us to Earth," Lee realized, shaking his head in amazement.

"_If_ it exists," Kara reared her doubtful head again just as she finished the reconnection. A war was being waged inside her between wanting to believe they'd found Earth and trying not to get her hopes up. Several lights in the small craft came on and the familiar thrum of engines sounded through metal decking.

Lee gazed at Kara as she scrambled out from underneath her console. "Unbelievable," he remarked. Her face was smeared with grease and she wore a lopsided grin as she stared up at him. He didn't think she'd ever looked more beautiful. Lee offered her a hand up and was happy when she took it.

Her awkward smile remained as his hand lingered on hers. Then she remembered what was going on and quickly got back to work, slipping into the pilot's seat. Lee slid into the seat beside her. "Map out the coordinates exactly as you remember," Kara instructed. "I'm going to feed thrust control directly into our auxiliary power connection, try to boost the coil function."

"I'm on it," he began to type in the subroutine commands he'd studied for only a few minutes, hoping he had remembered correctly.

"Lee," Kara stopped her task for a second and turned toward him.

"Yeah?" he glanced up at her.

She suddenly felt horrible for everything she'd ever put him through. Their situation came crumbling down on her and she had an overpowering need to tell him how she really felt. To tell him that going back for Anders had been mostly out of a sense of obligation. To tell him that she wanted more than just friendship from him but was too afraid of what that might mean.

If they died, she wondered if he'd ever know exactly how much he meant to her. She stopped herself from that disruptive path and tried to refocus. It was selfish thinking anyhow. Lee was clearly dating Dualla. He'd moved on and she'd missed her chance. "I don't think I have to mention that we're probably only going to get one chance at this," she finally spoke, leaving everything else inside as usual. "So…"

"Let's make it count," Lee finished for her.

Kara nodded, not at all surprised that he was able to understand her so easily. They'd always worked well together. It was the emotional and physical aspects of their relationship that they managed to screw up time after time. Turning back to her console, "Let's make it count," she agreed as they put their plan into action.

xxx

Adama paced the deck of CIC. In his hands he twirled a pair of wire rimmed glasses. They'd been past due for a prescription update at the time of Galactica's decommissioning. Over a year later they were way past their prime. _Just like me_, his mind thought. How many hours had he spent waiting and worrying over an important mission since the Cylons had first attacked? Too many.

How many of those had his son Lee been involved in? Again, too many. He still wasn't sure why he'd sent the boy off to Caprica with Kara. He thought it was because Kara needed looking after. Not that she couldn't get a job done better than anyone, but because he had grown too found of the young woman over the years. She was a daughter to him, though she'd never been able to make it official with Zak. He wanted to protect her and, yet, he hated that he'd let her get so close.

Lee was enough to worry about. He was a good officer though, one of the finest, and not just because he was the son of an admiral. In fact Adama saw very little of himself in the boy when it came to command. Lee was more of a laconic authority figure as acting CAG. He could get in a person's face if need be, but he tried not to let it come to that.

The old man had been planning to make his son Commander of Pegasus. A bold move, but the ship hadn't been able to maintain any sort of control since Cain had died. He wasn't sure why but he felt Lee was the right choice. He was far younger than any commander of a battlestar before him but times were drastically different. They called for different thinking, quicker, thoughtful, and unique. He'd give the command to Starbuck for all those qualities alone, except she was too hot headed and cocky for her own good.

He pulled from his thoughts with a small grin, hoping that cockiness of hers was keeping them both alive out there. His eyes caught Tigh's gaze on him. "Anything?" he needlessly asked. He knew that he'd hear just as soon as Tigh would if anything had changed.

The Raptor fleet had been gone for nearly five Colonial calendar days. All but Racetrack's Raptor, which had winked back into the fleet within hours of leaving. They'd been separated from the rest but had won a consolation prize; a habitable planet that was currently the major focus of Baltar and Zarek's presidential campaign. Adama inwardly groaned at that reminder. He had too much on his plate.

"Not a single peep from the dradis," but just as Tigh finished, CIC came alive.

"Dradis contact," Lieutenant Gaeta called out from his station.

Adama slipped on his glasses and moved toward the command table, alert in seconds. Tigh ground a hard look into the young man as if to say, how dare you make a liar out of me. The junior officer was not so easily dissuaded by their, less than illustrious, colonel. He maintained cool as he further relayed his findings to the room.

"Colonial signals, sir. It's the Raptor fleet," Gaeta informed a relieved audience.

"Get me Starbuck," Adama demanded.

It was a few moments before Gaeta grimly turned to his commanding officer. "Lieutenant Bosch is reporting in, sir. She says that Starbuck and Apollo's Raptor lost contact with the fleet just as they were commencing their final jump to Caprica. Apparently, that's why it's taken them so long to return."

He felt his heart sink and tried to speak past the lump in his throat. "What is the mission status?" Adama managed to ask.

"Successful rescue of nearly sixty Caprica survivors, sir," Gaeta relayed.

Sixty lives in exchange for his son and daughter, Adama grimly thought. It was quite a rescue, but it wasn't enough. Not if it meant the lives of his children were lost. He quickly banished that idea from his head. "Inform all Raptor pilots and ECO's to report for mission debrief in twenty minutes," the admiral instructed.

"Sir, they've been gone for nearly a week," Gaeta looked around for some sort of support but found none. "They need food and rest," he concluded.

"I want answers, Lieutenant," Adama returned. "No one sleeps until I get them."

Colonel Tigh approached his old friend with caution. One hand reached out to rest upon the admiral's shoulder. "Bill, I know he's your son. That's a risk you take every time you send him out, but…"

"Don't start with me Saul," Adama turned and shrugged off the supportive gesture. "I made a promise to Lee once. I've broken too many of those to him over the years."

"This is not the time to start playing father of the year," Saul fired back, knowing how to push the old man's buttons. "The Cylons have had plenty of time to track the Raptor fleet, if they show up now we're all dead," he growled.

"I'm not leaving here without him!" Adama's angry shout silenced CIC. He looked around at their pity filled faces. It reminded him of the time Kara's Viper had gone down, they'd looked at him and Lee the same way. But there'd been a happy ending that day.

"Bill…" Tigh edged again.

"Just have them ready to meet in twenty," Adama fled the room, silently vowing that he'd make another happy ending for his children.

* * *

To be continued… 


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe.

**Summary:** An FTL glitch causes Lee and Kara to end up on Earth's doorstep, but finding the thirteenth colony is merely the beginning of their journey.

**Wing and a Prayer**  
**Part 3**

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

The mission debrief did not go well. Adama conducted the questioning himself. More than half of the officers had been caught dozing off at some point. A few gave half answers and garbled recollections of what had happened on their final jump. The stories varied widely. Some claimed they didn't see a thing. Others stated that Starbuck and Apollo's Raptor had exploded in white light. 

All of which left the admiral no closer to an answer than before he'd started. So he dismissed them all and planned to find his own answers. He left the room knowing that there was no way he'd give up on Lee and Kara. They had all fought too long and hard for it to end with some unknown accident.

"Sir," a voice called out to him before Adama was even half way down the corridor.

Adama turned and recognized the man. "A refuge area has been set up for all of you in the starboard hanger bay," he relayed.

"Yes, sir. Thank you. I, uh… I wanted to introduce myself," the man extended a hand of greeting. "Sam Anders."

The admiral nodded and they shook hands. "I know who you are," he replied. Anders had practically been a household name back on the Colonies, even to those who rarely followed the sport of Pyramid. Even to those who favored the Panthers over the Buccaneers. Adama had also heard enough scuttlebutt to know Kara's connection to the man.

"I understand that your son was with Starbuck on the mission," Sam continued.

"Yes," Adama was curt.

"I'm sorry. I know most of this was probably due in large part to me. Starbuck said she always kept her promises. I just wish…"

The old man wasn't about to stand there and listen as his daughter was spoken of in the past tense. He put a halt to the man's words. "You obviously don't know Starbuck very well, and you don't know my son. They're not dead. That's what I plan to believe unless I am proven otherwise," he concluded.

Sam nodded, knowing when to keep his mouth shut.

"We should have more permanent quarters set up somewhere within the fleet in a few days. If you'll excuse me," Adama continued on his way.

As he walked, he recalled one of their first major ops after the Cylon's had attached. The Tylium raid had been a big departure from the norm, with Starbuck in charge of the plan and Lee carrying it out. He remembered going to his son, hoping to calm his nerves. The passing of a family heirloom and a mostly made up story had done the trick. A little lie was not such a terrible thing if it gave a son piece of mind.

He'd tossed the lighter to Lee again just over five days ago. But he'd yet to have it returned to him.

Adama tried to clear his head from the emotions of the day as he entered his office. He needed to be alert and on top of his game, not bogged down in memories of things that wouldn't mean a damn if he couldn't help his son this time as well. Seated in front of his desk he found a distraction in the form of Laura Roslin. His head suddenly raced with thoughts of the upcoming election.

"Madam President," William Adama greeted the woman as he sunk into the seat across from her.

Laura flashed him an appreciative smile. "Not for long, I fear," she made note of their current predicament. Baltar had made their new planet his focus and citizens seemed to be falling for the dream, hook, line and sinker. "I heard about the Caprica mission. I'm sorry…"

"We rescued nearly 60 people," Adama quickly interrupted her, his back straight and primed for a fight. "What is there to be sorry about?" he challenged.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Concern caused the creases at the corners of her eyes to deepen. "I was informed that Lee and Captain Thrace's shuttle had been lost," Roslin cautiously spoke. She felt an odd sense of déjà vu come over her; the memory of her condolence call after Kara Thrace had been lost once before.

"They're not dead," he promptly informed her, removing his glasses and setting them aside. The admiral relaxed a little and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

The president hoped, for all their sakes, that what he claimed was true. Apollo and Starbuck looked after the fleet. They were two of its greatest assets. "Have you considered that the Cylon may have been responsible for their disappearance? Some sort of plan to separate them from the fleet," she suggested.

"I've thought about it," Bill admitted. There was no love lost between him and the Cylon who he still sometimes saw as his shooter. "But I can't be certain of anything at this point," he leaned forward again and folded his hands on top of the desk.

Roslin moved forward as well and laid one hand over his folded ones. Hers were warm and soft. His were worn and cool. "But you are certain that they're still alive," she pressed.

"Yes," his answer was soft but emphatic.

Laura nodded, having already found the answer in his eyes. "Then you'll do what you must to find them," she gave him a small smile of encouragement. "And I'll do my best to help you, short of crippling the fleet again of course," she added.

That earned her a half smile from the old man. "Of course," he replied, truly thankful of her support and friendship.

xxx

Kara closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She reopened them to find bright blue oceans and emerald continents shrouded in swirls of white cloud cover, all nestled against a backdrop of stars. The planet looked so much like Caprica that she had to remind herself they were nowhere near the colonies, unless you counted the thirteenth colony of Earth. They were either very far from home, or very close.

The last few hours were a blur of precise calculations and optimized thruster burns. But at some point during their approach to the planet, his hand had joined hers over the front console. It wasn't an intimate gesture, but rather, a familiar presence in an uncertain time. It reminded them of all the other near misses and triumphs they had pulled off. Always better together than apart seemed to be the theme that ran through their lives.

"Now what do we do?" Karl stood rooted between the two pilot seats, staring out at the new world.

"Auxiliary power is down to minimal," Kara noted, shaking herself out of the Earth trance she'd been in. She began to remove her hand from Lee's, but he squeezed gently before letting go. "Back-up life support should be gone within the hour," she looked to Lee and Karl. "I suggest we knock and see if anyone is home."

Lee could hardly take his eyes off the planet as he registered the cold that was creeping back into his hand. But he tried not to dwell on the absence of hers. "How do you plan on doing that, Starbuck?" he wouldn't put it past her to literally set down on the planet and knock on the first door she found. Sometimes he wished he had half her daring nature. And some days he wanted to strangle her with it.

"I registered a substantial power reading off our starboard bow when we first set orbit," Kara let them know. "My best guess told me it must be from some sort of space station. So, I did a little scan and voila," she waved her hand over the console so they could see what she was going on about.

A schematic of a rudimentary looking station popped up on the screen. "Not very technologically advanced?" Karl questioned.

"Can you get a signal to them?" Kara asked of the ECO.

Helo settled at his station again and tweaked a few controls. Static filled the space for a moment just before they started to receive some incoming transmissions. A female voice carried over the channel. "International Space Station, this is the shuttle Atlantis. Prepared for docking lock in ten, nine, eight, seven…"

"Abort docking maneuvers Atlantis," a slightly accented male voice replied as the Raptor's occupants continued to monitor the situation. "We are picking up some odd readings out there. Looks like a heat signature off our port side."

"Knock-knock," Kara grinned, realizing that they were the heat source being picked up. "It's now or never," she announced as she opened the channel on their end. "This is Captain Thrace, requesting to speak with someone is charge over there…"

It was turning into one of those days in which Lee wanted to strangle her. "What are you doing?" he cut the connection. "That's not proper first contact protocol. You send text only before acknowledgement."

"Screw protocol, Lee. If we don't get their attention now we'll be too dead to do it later," Kara pointed out. "And if we try to enter the planet's atmosphere without warning they could have some sort of defense system in place to shoot us down," she added.

"She does have a point," Karl added from behind. He quickly shut up when he saw the un-amused look on Apollo's face.

"This is Commander Laika. Who authorized your rendezvous with the station Captain Thrace?" a new voice requested. They'd been heard. "We have no records of any incoming shuttles from the Russian, Canadian, Japanese or European space programs. What is your affiliation?" he demanded.

Kara turned to Lee and Karl but neither one of them offered up any advice so she decided to do some fast talking. "We were deployed by a private Russian exploration program," she quickly answered.

"_Russian?"_ Lee mouthed the question to her.

She shrugged, having just picked at random from the choices Commander Laika had rattled off.

"_This is insane,"_ he mouthed again. Kara cocked her head and rolled her eyes at him, as if to say, you shouldn't be surprised.

The Commander's voice finally replied. "I still have no record of any scheduled activity at this time other than Atlantis. What is your mission directive?" he questioned.

"We were sent to conduct a survey of a new star system," Kara was fully entrenched in the lie. She realized that she needed them to allow the Raptor to dock, if possible. "We've had a bit of an accident here and have a wounded crew member in need of medical assistance," that usually got people's attention.

Along moment passed. "Understood. We'll need to finish docking the Atlantis before we can find a place for you Captain. Hold tight," he informed them as the signal was cut.

Kara relaxed against her seat. "I'm not going anywhere," she whispered with relief and anticipation.

"Helo?" a weak voice called out from behind the group, startling them all.

Three heads turned around to find Sharon awake and sitting up in the rear of the Raptor. She was rubbing the back of her head and looked more than a little confused about what was going on, but she was alive. Somehow that stood for something positive in all their minds. Unfortunately, everything started to unravel shortly after they managed to dock.

The station was small, starkly white with rudimentary controls. And there was no artificial gravity. The four of them were far from everything familiar, suddenly weightless and doing their best to look the part of a scientific research crew. They were met with skeptical looks.

"I am Commander Yuri Laika, of the Russian Federal Space Agency," he was a short middle-aged man with a thick, distinctive accent.

Apollo step-floated forward. "I'm Major Lee Adama," he turned to the others and nodded in Kara's direction. "This is Captain Thrace, to whom you spoke earlier." He then motioned to Helo and Sharon and made a snap decision. "Lieutenant Karl Agathon and his wife, Sharon," he concluded.

"A civilian?" Yuri queried.

"Yes, she's a stellar astronomer," Lee realized how easy it was to fall into the lie Kara had started.

The Commander nodded but did not look overly convinced by anything they had told him. "You will understand our confusion over the situation. We have never seen the manner of your craft before, nor do we have knowledge of privately funded space exploration programs." He guided them to a small door and motioned for the group to enter a storage airlock. "You will remain here until we can further corroborate your story." The door was closed and locked behind them.

"I think that went well," Kara tried to lighten the mood. Lee didn't reply as he floated his way over to take a seat on a plastic shipping crate.

"As well as any train wreak could," Karl voiced his opinion as he guided Sharon to a seat too. She was still a little woozy from her extended period of unconsciousness and no medic had come to look her over yet. "My civilian wife? Who is also a stellar astronomer?" the lieutenant questioned Lee's introductions.

"Thought you'd be happy to be married to her," Kara quipped, still trying to dissipate the tenseness of their situation.

"Well, yes but that's beside the point," Helo replied as he looked down at Sharon. She was still cognizant but hadn't spoken much. There hadn't been time to explain everything before they docked so he'd told her to just keep quiet.

"What did you want me to tell them Helo?" Lee asked. "We're from outer space and we created some robots that evolved and decided to kill us all but some of us escaped. Then we stumbled here to Earth and brought along one of those robots. We think she's a good little toaster but you never can be too sure," he rattled off.

"You don't have to make it sound so bad, Sharon doesn't want to kill anyone here," Karl protested.

"We all know that," Kara replied, though she had a feeling Lee wasn't entirely convinced of that fact. "It's still going to sound pretty bad just about any way we say it," she hated to admit.

"So, our first contact with Earth and we think it's a good idea to lie to them?" Helo asked.

Lee and Kara glanced at each other for a brief second. "Yes," they both replied in unison.

"Fine," Karl bowed to their rank. He sifted through a crate and pulled out a blanket which he wrapped around Sharon's shoulders. "But there are a lot of holes in our story and they don't look stupid. The truth is going to come out sooner or later," he reasoned as he huddled with Sharon in one corner of the small space.

Kara floated her way over to Lee's crate and sat down beside him. She braced herself by snaking one leg around a metal bar that was holding the shipping container down. "I guess we screwed up," she admitted.

"You screwed up," Lee replied. "And I followed along, screwing up further," he conceded, knowing they'd both done the best under the circumstances. He held his grandfather's lighter in one hand, let it go for a second and watched it float upward before he retrieved it a second later. He repeated the process a few times.

Kara watched him, grateful for the small share of blame he had offered up. She really didn't see how anyone could be of blame, though. It was a completely unknown, unpredictable situation. Normally she thrived under such circumstances, but she was beginning to think they were all way out of their league when it came to playing diplomats on Earth. They hadn't even set foot on the planet yet and already they were in trouble. She reached out and snatched the lighter from Lee while it was mid-float.

"Kara, can I have that back please," Lee requested.

She turned it over and read the worn inscription. "Joseph Adama, your grandfather," the words were a statement rather than a question. She handed the item back to him as he'd asked.

"How did you…"

"Zak mentioned him once or twice," Kara answered.

Lee nodded, turning the lighter over in his hand again. "It's sort of a promise…" he wasn't sure why but it felt good to talk, about anything. Waiting had never been his strong suite. He knew it wasn't Kara's either, so he was glad to make the time pass. "A promise to make it back to Galactica. I have to return it when I see him again," there was no need to mention who the, _him_, in that statement was.

Kara remembered Lee tossing the lighter to the old man after the Tylium raid. She flashed him a confident smile. "You will." They watched as Helo and Sharon chatted quietly in the far corner of the room. "This all feels like a dream," Kara finally spoke again, not liking the silence. She reached over and pinched Lee without warning.

"Ouch," Lee rubbed his arm, shooting her a baleful look. "I believe it's customary to pinch yourself when you think you're dreaming," his voice was a little irritated but his eyes belayed any seriousness he might have felt.

"But it's more fun to mess with you," she chirped, scooting close enough to nudge him in the side. The playful gesture was returned and they went back and forth for a short time. It ended with Lee shoving her off the crate. She floated a few feet away before one of his hands easily reached out and caught her. He pulled her back to his side.

Kara grinned, feeling the weight of his hand on hers again. "Do you think they have peanut butter on Earth?"

He looked at her like she'd lost her mind, not an uncommon occurrence lately. "Peanut butter?" Lee questioned. "You're serious? Of all the things you could miss about living on planet, peanut butter is the big one?"

"It's just the thing that happened to come to mind first," Kara replied. "Peanut butter reminds me of my dad," she revealed.

He instantly regretted his teasing. Lee was almost certain that she'd never mentioned her father in his presence before. And he didn't want to be the one to stand in the way of any happy memories she might have.

"When I was young and mom went off on a tour of duty, daddy always took me on a day trip to the beach. He'd make peanut butter sandwiches and we'd go for a picnic, play in the sand. Sometimes he'd bring a sketchbook and we'd draw pictures of all the sea animals we imagined swimming under the waves," Kara had nearly forgotten those days until just now relaying the memory to Lee. "Sorry," she sobered.

"Don't be," Lee was quick to respond. He'd enjoyed the brief moment of listening to her with her guard down. There'd been no tiptoeing around issues or half-truths. She'd just spoken completely from the heart. All he'd ever gotten of her childhood before were angry mother stories. He was pleased to find out that not all of little Kara's life had been dismal. He just wished he had the power to make adult Kara's life a little less miserable.

The airlock door opened, putting a sudden end to their conversation. Lee and Kara jumped to attention as Commander Laika stood before them. Karl and Sharon looked up, but remained seated. Laika's face was calm and unreadable. None of them liked not being able to gage his mood.

"We know that you are not Russian because I have checked with my government," he didn't beat around the bush. "We have also checked and found that your names are not registered with any other space programs known to us. So, in twenty-four hours you will be escorted to the shuttle Atlantis. Your ship will be transported in their cargo hold. You will be remanded to NASA officials in the United States of America. You will then be questioned and if you are found to be guilty of any crimes against this international space installation you will be imprisoned or executed," he stated calmly. "Good day," the Commander promptly exited the small space.

Quiet blanketed the room as they digested his words and their possible implications. Lee turned to Kara who had made her way over to a small porthole. "Great plan there, just knocking on their front door," he wondered how everything had gotten out of control so quickly.

She shifted and pointed out the window where there was the faintest view of Earth. "The way I see it is, we just got ourselves a trip to that planet without being shot out of the sky. I don't think that's such a horrible thing," she reasoned. "We'll just have to figure out the particulars of not being imprisoned or killed when we get there."

Lee was surprised. "What is this, Kara the optimist?" he asked teasingly.

"No, Kara the realist," she grinned over at him. "We're going to stand on Earth, Lee. For real this time."

* * *

To be continued… 


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe.  
**Note:** Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews! I hope the story continues to entertain.

* * *

**Wing and a Prayer**  
**Part 4**

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

Strapped into seats at the back of the shuttle's cockpit, they didn't have a very good view for their first Earth landing. Kara was almost wishing that she'd gone ahead and risked setting the Raptor down without contacting the station first. She figured it would have been one hell of a good ride before being shot to pieces. 

The shuttle rattled, dropping altitude quickly after breaching the upper atmosphere. It leveled off and descended below a layer of clouds. The blue of ocean loomed below them and a long swath of land appeared as the shuttle prepped for landing. There were a few more bumps before their back wheels touched down with a jolt. A couple seconds later the front wheel also connected with solid ground. The breaks and shuttle parachute kicked in, sending them all forward in their seats.

"Houston, Atlantis wheel stop," the shuttle's pilot reported a few minutes after they'd finished rolling.

"Atlantis, Houston. Copy wheel stop. Welcome back and congratulations on a successful mission," a voice replied from over the forward comm. system. "Kennedy will take over from here."

"Copy that Houston."

Kara glanced over at Lee. "I could have landed better with my eyes closed."

He shook his head at her. It had been a bit of a rough landing by the standards that they were used to, aside from combat landings. But it was pretty clear that Colonial technology was a few leaps beyond what Earth had perfected so far. Lee strained his neck to see outside, but could only make out very little through the small porthole window.

Helo stuck close to Sharon's side as they were all ushered from the shuttle into several large vehicles. The four of them were crowded into a van along with the shuttle's pilot, who they'd come to know as Commander Fredrick Altman, and a researcher by the name of Dr. Annie Wright. As they sped along to their destination a distant blurb of people came into view at the far end of the airstrip. They were crowded around a metal gate.

"Looks like word has already been slipped to the press," Williams explained. "A lot more reporters out there than usual," he noted. "I don't know how they always manage to get here first."

"They're here because of us?" Lee queried.

It was the doctor who responded. "Unknown aircraft tries to dock at international space station. That's big news," she briskly replied, seeming more wary of the foreigners seated beside her than Altman.

"Huh," Kara chuckled nervously. "Imagine what the headline will read when they find out we're not from Earth," she kept her voice low as she spoke to Lee.

"Kara," he used his warning tone.

"What?"

"I don't know, maybe just this once you could keep your mouth shut."

"Sure, I'll leave the talking up to you Mr. CAG who married Karl and Sharon on the spot with your superior first contact skills," she rolled her eyes at him. "Just one thing, since we're all getting new lives and ranks and stuff; can I be a Major? Or maybe even a Colonel. Wouldn't that piss Tigh off," she grinned.

"You're too young to be a Colonel," Lee could tell she was nervous and letting it roll into her usual obnoxious behavior. That's how she copped when real emotions got to be too much for her to handle. That and alcohol and sex. Of the three, obnoxious was annoying but preferable. He was nervous as well, which usually just left him snippy.

"And you're too young to be a Commander," she retorted without thinking.

Lee looked at her questioningly. "Which I'm not," he noticed that she'd suddenly gotten very quiet, which was rarely ever a good thing were Kara Thrace was concerned. "Kara, do you have anything else you'd like to add to that?" he pressed.

She shrugged. "I might have accidentally overheard something I shouldn't have?" Kara's attempts to play innocent went over about as well as Colonel Tigh attempting to hide his drunken stupors from the CIC crew.

"Do I even want to know?"

Kara smiled genuinely. "Adama was planning to make you Commander of Pegasus when we returned from Caprica," she revealed.

He felt his chest tighten for some reason. Lee wasn't sure whether to be thrilled at the idea or not. "That's not true," he went for denial and skepticism. "Why would he?"

"The Pegasus chain of command is frakked Lee," she pointed out the obvious lack of control aboard the vessel. They'd lost their last three commanding officers in a row. "Who else would Adama entrust it to?"

"Tigh," Lee's answer was automatic.

Kara chuckled outright, earning her a few stares from the other passengers. She slumped in her seat and directed her words to Lee only. "He'd be more likely to give it to me than Tigh," she surmised. "Tigh is too unstable to command a battlestar, so am I for that matter."

"Kara, if you're jerking me around here…"

"Never mind, I shouldn't have opened my mouth in the first place. It always manages to get me into trouble. Look at the bright side, now you have even more reason to hate me. I got you stuck on the Caprica mission because the old man thought I needed a babysitter," she watched as Lee was about to protest. "It's true, I know it is," she accepted the Admiral's right to watch her back. "Now you're stuck on Earth when you could have your own Command and be with…" she trailed off before the petty officer's name could form on her lips. "Once again, Kara the screw up strikes."

He wanted to tell her it wasn't true. That he wasn't mad at her. That she wasn't a screw up. That he didn't even care about Dee that much, at least not the way he cared about her. But as usual, the words just wouldn't come.

"Everyone out," the female voice startled them both. They hadn't even realized the van had stopped. A woman in fatigues stood at the open door. "I'm Lieutenant Kelly and I'll be your debriefing escort," that was all the information they received from the tall blonde haired woman before being ushered into a large white building.

They hadn't had much of a view on the shuttle. They'd been immediately transferred to the vans, which had sported darkly tinted windows. Now they were being whisked from the vans into a large building complex. Kara was beginning to wonder if Earth really did exist aside from moving vehicles and structures.

She watched as the shuttle's crew was taken down one hall while they were lead through another. "Excuse me," she called out to the Lieutenant leading them. "I know we're sort of prisoners here, but Sharon was injured and she really could use a doctor."

"Then I guess you're in luck," Kelly stopped at a non-descript door and waved them in. "You've all been scheduled for full medical exams," she informed them.

Lee grabbed Kara's arm and pulled her away from the door. "I know you're actually worried about Sharon but medical exams on a Cylon?" he was hesitant to enter the room.

"That could be bad huh?" she realized.

"That could be bad," he agreed.

Kara looked at Kelly who had an unyielding face. Down the hall another stern looking guard stood at attention. She regarded Lee again. "I don't think there's much we can do about it. Maybe it will work in our favor; get the big ugly secret out of the way. We were going to have to face this head on at some point. The fancy footwork was just to get in the door," Kara reasoned.

He nodded. "Now it's time to fess up and hope they don't get trigger happy."

"Yep."

xxx

They'd been transferred to a large holding cell after their exams. Tall glass walls, two cots, one table and three metal chairs occupied the space. Lee was seated at the table, Kara had sprawled herself on one of the cots. Helo and Sharon were once again huddled together, side-by-side on the other cot.

The medical evaluation had gone pretty much like any other physical she'd had, meaning that Kara should have been in a bad mood. She hated doctors only slightly more than she hated most command officers. She'd spent way too much time in one medical office after the other throughout her childhood, trying to explain yet another black eye or broken bone. There were only so many walls and doors an eight year old kid could accidentally run into.

For some reason though, Kara was fairly calm as she suddenly remembered one stay in the hospital that hadn't been so traumatic. It was when she'd had her tonsils removed. Afterward her father had come to sit with her. He'd brought strawberry ice cream and they'd eaten the whole carton, laughing about silly songs that he was making up for her to keep her mind off the soreness.

Kara was caught off guard again by happy memories of her father. Every time she'd gone back to Caprica after joining the fleet, it had only reminded her of all those years being stuck with her mother. And how much she'd longed to be able to fly away from it all. She'd never been content planet-side before. Earth seemed to be having a very different affect on her.

She stood and made her way over to Lee. Tapping the table softly, she caught his attention and motioned toward Helo and Sharon. They grabbed two chairs and drug them over to join their comrades. "Did you fill her in on how we got here?" Kara asked of Helo.

"We don't know how we got here," Karl countered.

"You know what she means," Lee interjected.

"He told me that when we came out of the jumps, we were close to a planet called Jupiter," Sharon finally spoke up.

"Does that mean anything to you?" Kara hadn't allowed herself to think about Jupiter since they'd implemented their burn toward Earth.

Sharon shook her head. "No, but apparently it does to you," she noted, recalling what Helo had told her of Kara's drawing comment while she'd been unconscious.

"Right," Kara scoffed. "I almost forgot about the Cylons and this special destiny they've created for me," she rolled her eyes. It was still so hard for her to look at Sharon and realize that she wasn't human, that she wasn't even the same Sharon who she remembered from her first days aboard Galactica.

"I don't know anything about that," Sharon replied.

"You just know _of_ it," Kara recalled Sharon mentioning it on Caprica just after they'd rescued her from the Cylon Farm. She shivered. That wasn't a memory she particularly cared to revisit.

Their group meeting was cut short as the cell door opened with a clang of metal upon metal. It was Lieutenant Kelly again. "Which one of you is Captain Thrace?"

Kara stood. "That would be me," she nonchalantly answered.

"Come this way, sir," Kelly instructed.

Lee was on his feet beside Kara. "Wait a minute," he stopped the young soldier. "I'm Major Lee Adama, senior officer on this mission. If anyone goes with you it should be me," he insisted.

The woman didn't blink an eye. "I was instructed to escort Captain Thrace only, sir."

"Kara," Lee looked to her for some help.

It didn't come in the form he was hoping for. "Relax, Lee. They probably just want to ask a few questions. No big deal," she seemed calm enough at the prospect of being separated from the rest of the group.

He leaned in closer. "You seem to be forgetting the part about trials and executions," Lee reminded her of Laika's words.

"Well," she shrugged. "In that case, maybe I'll at least get to see some blue sky before the end."

Lee's face contorted. He was both angry and worried. "That is not funny."

"I know," Kara admitted, her face having lost its carefree attitude. "But we don't have much authority here. I think its best we cooperate." She smiled again when she saw Lee's surprise. "I know, scary thought; me cooperating. I'll be fine, Lee," she reassured him as she followed Kelly out of the cell.

xxx

The room was small and white. One table sat in the middle of the space and two metal chairs, one on either side. It looked like any standard interrogation room. Her thoughts slipped back to the session she'd spent interrogating a Leoben copy, over a year ago. She knew what it was like to be on the other side. Kara had to admit, she was a little worried.

"Captain Thrace, I'm General Arthur Mason," a fit looking, mid-sixty year old man entered the room. He dropped a pad of paper onto the table and took a seat. "We'd like to ask you a few questions," he pulled a pen from his pocket. "Since you were the one who initially made contact with the station, we're starting with you."

"I understand, sir," she could do protocol and make nice when the situation called. Making nice with the folks from Earth was top priority if they ever hoped to stay on as citizens and invite the rest of the fleet to do so as well. They'd instantly clung to the hope of finding Earth, but none of them had every really considered the possibility that Earth wouldn't accept them.

"First off, I apologize for Commander Laika. He comes off a bit more brutish than he really means most of the time. We are not in the business of executing. However, if you have sabotaged our station or caused harm to any of our systems, there will be consequences for your actions," he informed her.

"I understand, sir," Kara replied again.

"Good. Now, it seems our doctors are a little confused by some tests results," Mason started off. "One of the four blood samples revealed some oddities that have them all baffled, which is why you're being held in quarantine. They can't seem to find any example to attribute it to and some of them have even started spouting off _"little green men"_ theories."

"Little green men, sir?"

"You know, aliens from outer space," he tried not to laugh at the idea. "With your manner of craft being unlike any technology we've ever seen and now this crew members blood oddity… Let's just clear the air right now. You're not aliens, right?" it seemed an absurd thing to have to ask, but it was mandated.

"No sir, not aliens. We're more like, distant cousins," Kara could tell by the look on his face that her answer was not what he had been expecting.

"Come again?" he prompted.

Gods, she wished Lee were at her side. Why did they have to single her out? Lee was so much better at being diplomatic. If it were up to her she'd tell them all to be very afraid because the Cylons were coming and they needed to be ready or they'd all die. But she figured scaring the crap out of Earth probably wasn't the best way to start things off.

Kara decided to go for broke. She'd always been good at gambling and she didn't see any other way around it. They had to be honest if they ever expected Earth to accept them. "None of us were born on the planet Earth, but we are Human," she stated simply. "Well, most of us," she quickly added, following it up with a trademark grin.

The General took a deep breath. "Perhaps I should have included mandatory phys evals with those medical exams," he lamented more to himself than to her. The man wondered how he had drawn such duty. "How is it that you're Human but weren't born on Earth?" he humored her.

She realized that he hadn't immediately thrown her in a cell and tossed the key away. That was hopeful. "We're from the twelve Colonies."

"Twelve Colonies?"

"Surely you've heard of the twelve Colonies of Kobal, it's a major part of your history."

"I most surely have not," he didn't like being made a fool.

Her eyes grew wide. "Kobal is where all Human life began. Most settled on a nearby system with twelve planets; the Colonies. One group traveled a lot further and found a planet called Earth. It was so long ago in our history that most only thought of Earth as a legend. We weren't even sure if it existed," she explained. "But we hoped."

General Mason rubbed his chin. He wasn't sure what to think of the young woman's story. A drug high might explain it quite well but they'd all been clean on drug screening. A bump on the head would also do nicely for reason of temporary memory loss. But again, no such injuries had been determined. Only the one crew member, Sharon, had a few cuts and burns but nothing that would warrant such a fantastical story.

"Is this some sort of religious thing?" he finally questioned. "A cult?" it would explain some things in her story, but not the ship. That was still a very large, very expensive and very complicated piece of technology.

"Religion plays a large part in many of our lives," Kara easily replied. "The gods Aphrodite, Artemis, Zeus, Hera…"

"Wait a second," he stopped her. "Zeus and Hera? Now you're saying your religion is based on Greek mythology?"

"What's Greek Mythology?"

He shook his head, somewhat frustrated. "Why do I feel like I'm talking to an al.." the man stopped, realizing he was about to say alien. "So, you really believe you're not from Earth?"

"I know I'm not," Kara maintained.

General Mason tried to collect his thoughts, which had splintered off in all sorts of different directions. "About this Sharon Agathon, it was her blood tests that brought up the red flags. Any ideas why?"

"She would be the _most of us_ that's not human," Kara dutifully replied. She'd already said too much to turn back now.

"So, she's a little green man?"

Kara shook her head. "No, she's a shiny little toaster," the woman corrected.

"I'm not playing games here Captain!" he slammed the pen down on the notepad and leaned in toward her, an angry scowl on his face. A few veins in his forehead were straining. "You and your people are facing some serious charges here if this is all some hoax."

She didn't falter in the wake of his outburst. Kara sat there calmly and matched his sternness. "I assure you, this is not a hoax. Everything I've told you so far is the absolute truth."

He pulled away and settled back down. Something in her eyes told him that she believed the words coming out of her mouth. Earth had long insisted that they were doubtfully alone in the universe. It was far too vast a space for life to be singularly confined to just one planet. NASA itself was based on the ideals of exploration and research. And they'd set up protocol after protocol for encountering new species. General Mason had just never imagined he'd be one of the first to come face-to-face with anyone not from Earth.

"Okay," he finally acknowledged. "Let's say that I believe you," there was a pause as she silently contemplated his sincerity. Kara nodded for him to continue. "Now will you tell me exactly who or what this Sharon Agathon is?"

Kara relaxed into her seat. "Actually, her name is Sharon Valleri and, she's a Cylon…"

xxx

Lee looked up to see that Lieutenant Kelly was back. "Let's go people," the woman instructed as she unlocked the door. Worry bombarded Apollo when he realized that Kara wasn't with her. He was just about to ask after her when he spotted Kara at the end of the hall.

"What happened?" he rushed to her side. They walked with Helo and Sharon, trailing behind Kelly. "Where are they taking us?"

"It was a lovely blue sky," she joked.

"Kara!" Lee was not amused.

She put a hand on his left forearm and gave it a soft squeeze. "Relax, Major Stick. It's a surprise, a good one," she assured.

They all piled into another van, again with tinted windows. It was hard to make out anything as they were ferried away. The drive was short though and when Kelly opened the door for them, the air smelled different, yet familiar. Kelly silently led them down a short grassy path. As they crested a small embankment their first real image of Earth finally formed. It was a sandy beach and a stretch of aqua-blue Ocean.

Lieutenant Kelly turned to Kara. "The General thought you'd like this spot for what you asked. There are two guards posted, there and there," she pointed out two soldiers stationed on either side of the embankment. "We leave in two hours, so don't wander very far," she concluded.

"Thank you," Kara replied as they watched her turn to leave.

"Is this for real?" Karl asked when Kelly had gone.

"What did you ask for?" Lee was curious.

Kara smiled. "I asked for a place with a view of some blue sky."

"And they complied?" even Sharon was surprised. But she wasn't going to say no to a small bit of freedom. She'd been stuck in a cell on Galactica for far too long, only let out when they thought her Cylon background could be of some use to them. Karl was easily pulled away from questioning Kara as Sharon led him down the beach.

"Kara, what happened with this General?" Lee asked as he followed after her. She was making her way toward the surf, stripping off the very bulky flight suite she had on. Underneath were cropped cargo pants and her tanks. He watched as the bright sunlight reflected off her golden hair. A slight breeze in the air caused hairs to dance across her face.

"I told him everything. I had to," Kara revealed.

Lee stopped beside her at the waters edge. "When you say you told him everything…"

She turned to look at him. "I told them we're not from Earth and that Sharon is a Cylon. I explained exactly what a Cylon is and how they came to be and the reasons we're at war with them," Kara answered his implied question.

"And the executions are scheduled for when exactly?" he knew that had been the plan but he still couldn't quite believe she'd gone through with it. Mostly he couldn't believe they were still breathing.

"They're a bit sticky on a lot of it, but who can blame them?" she shrugged, tossing her flight suite to the ground. "They are not planning to kill us, though. They're transferring us."

"So, it's just prison then?"

"No, we're being taken to an Air Force base across country. They're putting us up in private barracks on base. We will be guarded just like this little outing, but we can come and go with advanced notice," she reported all the details General Mason had gone over with her.

Lee was dumbstruck. "Why would they do all this?"

"They agreed to give us a small amount of freedom, in exchange for certain information," Kara looked out at the waves that were slowly crashing onto the shore. The sound was hypnotic, sort of the same as the hum of Galactica. Ever-present and reassuring.

"What kind of information?" Lee had yet to allow himself a bit of relaxation.

She faced him again. "Teaching them everything we know about flight and space faring technology. They don't really believe our Cylon problems but they are technology starved. They want to explore space easier and safely. I figure this way we get to teach them and build a fleet of Raptors and Vipers. Then they'll be ready when they finally realize just how real the Cylon threat is to them," she surmised, kicking off her shoes.

"Kara the diplomat," Lee marveled.

"Hardly," she shook her head. "I told them you were in charge and everything should go through you first. I don't want to be a diplomat, Lee. I just want to walk on this beach and then build a few new Vipers."

He smiled at that. "I hate to break it to you Kara, but you already are a diplomat. They chose you for a reason," he paused. "There really is no accounting for taste," she scrunched up her nose at him for that comment. "Seriously, what you've done here so far, it's impressive. Sometimes we don't get to choose the path we follow, it's chosen for us."

"Gods, you sounded so much like your father just then!"

Lee's face fell. "That's another thing. We can't just stay here indefinitely building Vipers and teaching the Earthlings how to fly them. We need to find Galactica. The admiral probably already thinks…"

"No, he doesn't," Kara promptly insisted, knowing exactly what he was about to say. "But we can't do much without the information that's hopefully stored in that Raptor. I've gotten them to agree to allow Sharon and Helo access to the Raptor when we get settled. They can pretend to be going over calculations, specs, whatever we might need to draw up new plans."

"But their real mission will be?" Lee prompted.

"To figure out what happened during that last jump, see if they can track the successive jumps we made and gather whatever information they can to help us map our way back to Galactica's last known position," she concluded.

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out."

"I'm good at plans," she grinned, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"But you're worried too," he noticed.

Kara sighed. "What if we don't figure it out and what if the fleet never finds their way here?" it was one thing to believe that Adama would never stop searching for them. It was another to realize that all the searching in the universe might be in vain.

"Hey," Lee halted her thinking. He put a hand on her right shoulder and turned her so they were standing face-to-face. His other hand came to rest on her left shoulder and he looked her in the eye. "Since when do you do all the worrying in this group? That's my job isn't it?" he smiled, hoping to earn one from her in return.

"How could I forget," she grinned.

"I think there's something else you've forgotten."

"What's that?"

Lee used his hands on her shoulders to pivot her toward the water again. He stood behind her and they both took in the breathtaking view before them. "We're standing on Earth, Kara," he pointed out, his voice a whisper on her neck. "If I recall correctly, someone told me that was the first big step."

"Yeah, it was," she nodded.

He watched as she pulled off socks and sunk her toes into the sandy granules. Her eyes closed for a second and she tilted her head backward. Lee had a feeling she was praying. She re-opened her eyes and smiled up at the bright ball of sun above them. Blue sky formed a protective dome between the vastness of space and the fragile Earth.

She was mesmerized by the planet. He was mesmerized by her. She looked so calm, nearly serene. Lee didn't ever recall seeing her so at home while having her feet planted firmly on solid ground. Kara had been born to fly but on Earth, there was something very different about her that he just couldn't explain.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" she cocked her head at him. "Do I have something on my face?"

"Yes, a look that I've never seen before," Lee answered. Realizing he was highly overdressed for a day at the beach he quickly stripped his flight suite and removed socks and shoes as well. The warn sand squished beneath his feet as they moved together toward the water. "You look like you belong here, like you were always meant to be here," he concluded.

Kara returned her gaze toward the sky again. "Maybe I was."

Having had enough of their seriousness, he bent down and cupped a small amount of sea water in his hands. Taking the opportunity while her eyes were diverted, Lee splashed her with the cool liquid. Her yelp of surprise was quickly drowned out by a mischievous grin. Kara stalked her way toward him and shoved him hard so that he fell into the water. Lee rebounded quickly and grasped her wrist, yanking her down into the salty water with him.

Laughter engulfed them as they finally let their worries drift away, playing on the sandy shores of Earth.

* * *

To Be Continued… 


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe.

**Wing and a Prayer**  
**Part 5**

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

Lee walked across the flight bay. He held his grandfathers lighter in one hand, running his thumb over the worn etching of the man's name; a curling J for Joseph and an arching A for Adama. It was the only personal item he had with him on Earth. Lee knew that Kara, Helo and Sharon had even less than that. But they did have each other, and that small connection had brought them all a bit closer over the last several weeks.

From Kennedy Space Center in Florida, they'd been flown to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Facility on the other side of a country called the United States of America. The center resided next to an air force base called Edwards. They'd quickly come to learn that both facilities dealt with the creation and testing of some of Earth's finest military and space aircrafts.

The bases were situated in a state called California. And Lee found the name, Dryden, rather fitting after discovering the area to be a mostly arid region. There were no sandy beaches or ocean waves like they'd seen that first day in Florida. He was actually kind of disappointed by that fact and he knew Kara was as well. They'd gotten themselves all the way to Earth, yet once again they seemed trapped.

Their daily regime consisted of being whisked away in early morning and sequestered to the flight bay, which was stark and cold. It was a cavernous underground facility with a small number of guards assigned specifically to watch over the _aliens_, as some on Earth had started calling them. There were not many who even knew of their existence yet. That information was being held as quiet as possible, though they'd watched plenty of news reports about alleged alien vessels and real aliens walking among those on Earth. They laughed it all off as much as possible.

In return for not being held prisoner, the four of them were instructed to catalogue the Raptor's many parts and pieces for the purpose of recreating the craft for Earth's space flight program. Lee and Kara had no trouble in passing along their knowledge of technology to the people of Earth, but they had been expecting more of a warm welcome from their long lost brothers and sisters. The more they dug into Earth's history, the more they realized that the planet had long ago lost any knowledge of the original twelve colonies or Kobal.

Lee stashed the lighter back into his pants pocket as he found Kara hunched over at a small table away from the Raptor where Helo and Sharon were tinkering. He watched the fluid movements of her hand as it danced over the page with gentle pencil strokes. Four weeks on Earth had brought them all closer, and the two of them especially had managed to regain some of their lost friendship, though they mainly focused on the events that had taken place since landing on Earth. The past still stood between them, as always.

Kara sat up straighter as he approached. She placed an arm over the notebook in front of her. "Hey," she flashed a warm smile up at him.

Lee returned the gesture but was not fooled by her slight-of-hand tactics. He reached out and lifted her arm. "Wow," he gazed down at the drawing with genuine awe. A perfect rendering of a Mark III Viper stared back at him. The sketch was simple pencil on paper but the detail and shadows made it come alive on the page.

"It's just what I came up with from memory," Kara shrugged off his remark. "The general was interested when I mention we had a smaller craft that could also transition from space to atmosphere," she rattled on, hoping to cover her unease at his discovery of her artistic talents.

"Right," Lee snatched the pencil from her grip, not paying much attention to her last words. He flipped a page in her notebook and quickly scribbled out a crude form of a ship on the paper and handed the pencil back to her. "That's what I could draw from memory," he told her, pointing at the stick-figure Viper. "Guess you finally found something that you're better than me at," Lee teased.

"I'm better at a lot of things than you," Kara winked at him. She was pleased by the sudden rush of pink that came to his cheeks. In four weeks time she hadn't thought much about Caprica or Sam. Being with Lee again had started to repair some of what had broken between them and Kara wished they could work past the rest. But they were taking it slow, testing the waters. She was about to tease him some more when a loud clatter interrupted their moment.

She and Lee jumped up and ran to the Raptor in time to spot Helo helping Sharon down from the bird's main access point. "She's okay, just give us a little room," Karl put his bulk between Sharon and the guards that had come running to investigate. Sharon held her hand close to her chest, feigning an injury, which Lee and Kara figured out rather quickly.

"What was that all about?" Lee asked as the four of them worked their way back to the table where he'd found Kara earlier. They sat down and Kara passed around pages from her notebook to further make a show of being busy as they spoke in hushed tones.

"A distraction," Helo answered as he glanced over his shoulder. "Do you think they can hear us?" he asked as he turned back to his friends.

Lee looked at the couple with curiosity. For the last four weeks, they'd been going over the Raptor's systems. They'd been hoping for some small moment of freedom from their guards, in order to poke around at things they didn't want the Earth officers to know about just yet. Their main focus was on the computer that Sharon had been tied to when their final jump had occurred.

"You got in?" Lee finally asked as they were all assured the guard's attention was elsewhere.

Karl nodded and turned toward Sharon. The female looked a little reluctant to speak at first but quickly explained what had happened. "I managed to steal a few moments alone at the computer and I downloaded all the information I could recover," she pointed to her head in an indication that the data was stored inside her rather than any device the people of Earth could access.

"And?" Kara prodded the other woman.

"And, I know exactly how we got to Earth," Sharon replied.

"Well, not exactly," Karl countered.

Both of them were given a pointed glare by Lee. "Kara punched in the coordinates that started the chain reaction," Sharon finally added.

Lee looked to Kara who just shrugged as she remained silent. "I think we already know that, but why isn't the rest of the Raptor fleet here if they all typed in the same numbers?" Lee wasn't following.

Sharon shook her head. "Kara didn't type in the original code we had set. She typed in a completely different one, not even close."

Kara shook her head at that news. "But I knew that code by heart, I wouldn't…"

"I don't think you meant to, at least not consciously," Sharon went on. "But for some reason you did, and those exact coordinates set off some protected firewall in my system, then linked to it. Those two factors combined is what caused the chain reaction jump coordinates. It's almost like the two of us were pre-programmed for this."

Lee didn't like the implication he heard in her tone. "Kara is not a Cylon," he was quick to defend.

Sharon immediately took offense at his words. The two of them had come to some small bit of agreement over the weeks, but the relationship was still strained. Karl picked up on the tension that was growing between them and chimed in. He'd been the go between a lot the last few weeks when thing got heated. "No one is saying Kara's a Cylon," Helo calmly relayed.

"Kara is very smart," Sharon continued. "And there are many who believe she has a destiny to fulfill. That being said, even I do not know the identity of the remaining Cylons, but I do not believe she is one of them."

Lee settled down a little as he realized Kara seemed a great deal quieter than usual. He turned to her, seeing a confused look upon her face. Lee was just about to ask if they could speak privately when one of the guards came over and addressed him. "Sir, General --- has asked to meet with you in his office. I will escort you there now," the man intoned with little inflection.

He rolled his eyes at the imperfect timing, but he knew he had little choice in the matter. They were still at the mercy of Earth's government and military factions. "We'll talk about this later," Lee directed his words around the table then stood, all the while trying one last time to catch Kara's eye. But she was too lost in thought to notice and he sighed regretfully as he dutifully followed after the guard.

xxx

The old man paced. Imported Tauran rugs grew thread barren at his feet. Designs of bright green foliage and gold weaving had long ago turned to olive and drab yellows. He'd been aboard the old ship too long. He'd seen too many battles and lost too many people, but the latest blow had been by far the toughest to swallow. In a matter of days he'd lost his son, Starbuck and now a woman whose friendship he had come to value deeply. The first two losses came about by unknown forces, the second by betrayal.

"I thought we had a deal?" he finally found a few words to express the pain of her disloyalty. His voice already held an air of accusation as he shook his head at her. "You said you'd do anything to help, short of crippling the fleet."

Laura sat in a chair across from where he kept pace. Her back was straight and rigid, her eyes looked a little weary but her face held a bit of fight left in its creases. The last few days had been difficult for them all, but her more so than most. "Yes, exactly," she answered. "Anything, as long as I was still president, which is why I fought so hard," her defenses were easily raised against him.

"Cheating is not fighting," he tried to hide his disgust but was doing a poor job. "You involved my people in… in…" Adama balled his hands into fists as he tried to collect his thoughts. But all he felt inside was anger. "You got us stuck here!"

"This was what I tried to avoid by my actions." She calmly retaliated, defending her actions to the death if need be.

"Cheating," he accused again.

Her jaw tightened, lips pursed in a stubborn standoff. "Baltar was going to win," the former president maintained her position on the matter. She knew her methods had been a risk, but she'd believed it to be a good one. Baltar would never lead them to anything worth fighting for.

"You don't know that," he held up his end of the argument. "Not for certain, but your actions assured his victory," he added.

The anger finally boiled in her and exploded in a quiet but cruel remark. "And you don't know that _Lee_ is even still alive."

Adama spun around and banged his fist against the table in front of her. "He is!" the words reverberated off the walls. He backed off a little as she rose from her seat. "Leave," he spoke the word more softly, dropping his gaze toward the worn carpet.

His last word actually hurt. More than anger, she heard disappointment in his tone. Laura didn't want to lose his friendship. She'd already lost so much along the way. Losing Lee had been a blow to her as well. Some days, just knowing that he was on her side got her through the rough patches. They didn't agree on everything, but they did agree on what was best for the people. And the planet Baltar had already dubbed New Caprica, was not best.

"Will you be coming down to visit… the planet?" she carefully ventured, resigning herself to the inevitable transfer. Laura wanted to add the word, ever. But she resisted and awaited an answer.

"I doubt it," Adama cut her off. "I know my duty and I'll stay to protect this planet and what remains of the fleet here. But I'll also be sending out scouts, and doing everything within my power to find my son and bring him home," he declared.

"Of course," she sighed as she moved toward the hatch to leave. Laura turned back and watched as he lowered himself into the chair at his desk, looking older than she recalled ever seeing him appear before. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry," she called back to him. "I do hope you're right. I hope you find him."

He didn't look up to acknowledge her words or watch her leave the room, but he felt his heart ache at the loss of her in his life. Adama stared at the picture of his boys that resided on his desk. Two carefree young faces at the age of eight and nine, smiling back at him. He picked the photo frame up and ran a finger over Zak's slightly younger features then moved to Lee.

Zak had always been so easy to please all those years that he had been away on duty. A new sweatshirt or other trinket from wherever he'd been usually did the trick. And a stop by his favorite ice cream shop sealed the deal. He was daddy's little boy through and through. Lee on the other hand, he'd been hard to please since birth.

But they'd come a long way in a short time, from virtual strangers to something resembling a real father and son relationship. Adama recalled the promise he'd made to Lee not long after their whole ordeal had started. He wasn't going to give up on Lee, not as long as there was breath in his lungs.

xxx

The western horizon shifted colors as Lee stood there on the sidewalk and watched the sun start to fade from the evening sky. Silky strands of orange and purple faded into dark blues and black. Lee remained rooted to the spot as he waited for his escort to drive off, hoping he might have a few minutes to himself. He spotted the guard at the front door of the small base house that they had been provided, and remembered that moments alone were pretty much non-existent.

He resigned himself to that fact and moved toward the front porch. The man stood sentry by the door, clad in dark green attire with a pistol at his side. Supposedly he was there for their protection and they weren't allowed off base or even out of the house without an escort of some type. It certainly felt a lot like being prisoner in Lee's mind but he wasn't about to start making demands just yet.

Lee nodded cordially at the guard as he ducked into the house. It was a very basic rambler with a lounge area, kitchen, two bedrooms, one restroom facility and not much character at all. In Lee's eye, the base housing on Caprica and throughout the colonies had a distinct edge over Earth's. Unfortunately, they hadn't seen much more of the planet than a few military and government posts. He hoped to be able to explore a bit more in the future. But there was so much to do before they could hope to have free reign of the planet.

The quality of the house was not overly important though. They had a place to stay with real beds and hot water to bathe in, a comfy sofa to lounge on and food. He knew it was more than the people of Earth owed them. Lee's stomach actually growled on cue as the thought of food entered his mind. When they first arrived, the kitchen had been full of so many different fresh fruits and pasta, cheeses, bread and cookies. They'd all forgotten what real food tasted like. That luxury alone was enough to keep them doing Earth's bidding for life.

Sharon and Helo were in the living room as he entered, cuddled up on the sofa just as he'd found them so many nights before. The four of them in one place was a little awkward, but in a few weeks time they'd managed to grow into some semblance of routine. Mostly Helo and Sharon ruled the living room and Kara was often found chatting with them or playing cards. Lee still felt out of place dealing with the Cylon and kept to himself in his bedroom a lot. But Kara usually sought him out each night and they'd play cards or talk about the newest discoveries they'd made since arriving on Earth.

Lee glanced around, suddenly realizing that Kara was not in the room and he didn't hear her bustling about in any other area of the house. It wasn't like her to be so quiet, unless the day had been extra tiring in which case she'd been known to take a short nap before meal time. Dinner was an occasion that they all come to share together.

Curiosity finally got the better of him. "Where is Kara?" he looked to Karl for an answer. "She came home with you, didn't she?" it still felt odd some days to call a house on Earth, home. But he was slowly starting to get used to it.

Karl shook his head. "Nope, Kara said she was going to look for you just before the van came to pick us up. She didn't find you?" worry started to creep into his tone, realizing that he hadn't heard her when Lee entered. "We've been back almost two hours now," he added.

"I've been with the General since I left the flight bay," Lee tried not to think about the non-stop questioned he was asked in the sessions he held with the general.

Mostly he helped Kara and the others with the Raptor and Viper projects. Kara had already managed to work up a pretty good set of Viper blue prints. And a prototype Raptor replica was already in the works. But occasionally Lee was drug off to answer endless questions about the fleet and Colonial history. Mostly they tolerated him. Lee had a feeling they enjoyed Kara's company more than his, as they called upon her more often.

"I didn't see her at all," Lee let them know.

The front door slammed, startling them all. Shortly after, a tall man in an MP uniform entered the room, accompanied by a very jovial Kara. "Hey!" she shouted. "You guys missed all the fun," her words slurred in a manner they all knew to be from drunkenness.

She plopped down on the sofa and smiled goofily up at Karl. "She was at the officers club," the MP spoke in a monotone. "Got into a scuffle with a few test pilots. I figured I should make sure she got home safely," the man explained. "I won't report this to the general, even though I should. But you all better keep in line. You're here at our request," he quickly took his leave of them.

Lee noted that they were not making friends at a rapid rate. He turned his attention toward Kara as the door sounded the MP's exit. "He wasn't much fun," she grinned broadly up at him.

"Kara," he sighed with frustration. "How did you manage to find booze?"

She pealed herself off the sofa with exaggerated effort. "No, hey…" Kara grabbed his right arm to steady her self and looked into his eyes. "Don't be mad, I met some really nice guys…"

"And I'm sure they were happy to feed you ambrosia," he practically snarled as he thought about some stupid pilots with their hands all over her, buying her drinks. He'd seen it all before at the academy, even on Galactica, but he kept hoping she'd grow out of the phase. Seemed his hopefulness backfired yet again.

"On Earth, they call it whiskey," she wobbled and he caught her with both hands. Lee stood her up straight again. "They saw I didn't have any money so they bought be a few drinks, very nice of them… think they wanted something in return though," Kara nodded and her head dropped forward against her chest. "They got it too."

"Kara!" this time Lee's voice was sharp as he shook her so he could look her in he eye again. "Please tell me you didn't…"

She smiled brightly. "I gave them two matching black eyes," she laughed.

Lee couldn't help the small grin that formed on his lips. He was strangely proud of her, though very disgusted at her overall actions. They were meant to be representing the entirety of the Colonial fleet. Getting drunk and starting bar fights one month in to their stay was not exactly the diplomatic impression he'd hoped to impart on the people of Earth.

"Come on, Starbuck," he hefted her weight against one side. "Let's get you to bed."

"Always knew you wanted me in your bed, Apollo," she rested her head against his shoulder.

He glanced behind at Karl and Sharon who were still seated on the sofa, having watched the scene quietly and from afar. It always seemed best to stay out of things involving Lee and Kara. He knew that's what most of them on Galactica thought, though they didn't mind sitting back and having a front row seat for their infamous frak-ups.

"She's really drunk," Lee tried to hide his flushed cheeks from view.

"Uh huh," Karl nodded, pretending to play it all off for the other man's sake. "Goodnight Kara," he waved his friend off.

Lee led her down the hall and winced as she suddenly broke out into slurred song. "What a show, what a fight! Boys, we really hit our target for tonight," her voice cracked and he had a feeling she was really off key, though he didn't recognize the song. "How we sing as we limp through the air…"

Lee managed to push open the door to the room she was sharing with Sharon. He guided her to the bed nearest the open window. A slight breeze was blowing in, cooling the warm evening air. The sun was completely gone and a hint of moonlight streaked across the room, casting odd shadows over the space.

"Old Earth war song the pilots taught me," Kara attempted to explain her singing as she sunk onto the bed, barely sitting upright. "Though there's one motor gone, we can still carry on!" she hit a crescendo as Lee watched her eyes shut. Without another word, she fell backwards against her bed.

He didn't know if she was completely out or not as he made a move to pull her boots off. She made no noise of protest but he discovered she was not asleep as he caught her staring down at him. "Is this Earth?" she asked in very horse tone. "It doesn't seem as shiny as I imagined," Kara whispered.

Lee sighed as he helped her scoot further up so she was lying more comfortably. He wondered what had set her off. She'd been fine for weeks and amazingly calm throughout the whole initial arrival. She'd performed near perfect diplomatic talks and negotiated their cooperation in helping Earth build up their space technology.

Maybe she'd just been on autopilot for weeks, going about the motions and finally it had all come crashing down on her. She was famous for working on adrenaline for long periods of time and then going down fast. And maybe it had to do with Sharon's discovery of the jump coordinates and her theory that Kara had known the way to Earth all along. What ever the reason was, they'd all been through quite an ordeal. It was enough for anyone to crack a little.

He made a move toward the door but felt a brush of skin against his hand. Looking down, he found Kara's fingers entwined with his. "Stay," she mumbled the word against her pillow. "I don't want to be alone, Lee. I'm always alone."

"You're not alone," he whispered. His hand reacted of its own accord, gently squeezing hers in a reassuring manner.

"I screwed up, Lee," she spoke again. "I got us here but only us, not the rest… not Galactica, not the fleet," Kara lamented. "Should have gotten them all here."

"You can't do everything, Kara," he realized how much pressure she put on herself to be perfect, to be the best at what she did. It's what the old man had done to him and he guessed her parents had inflicted that same mentality into her. Lee knew that his own words and actions along the way had not done much to help her in that manner either. He'd always expected the best from her as well. And had blatantly shown his disgust when she wasn't in top form.

"I always screw everything up," her voice was fading.

"No, Kara," for once Lee wanted to show her something other than his demanding nature. He wanted to lend her friendship in whatever small way that he could. It wasn't easy for him, but he wanted to try. He realized that there might never be anything more between them than friendship but at least he could hold on to that. "That's not true," he stroked her hand.

For a second he thought he heard a sniff, like that of a tear being held back. But the dark room hid her face from his view as she spoke. "I mess up everything good… loved Zak, killed Zak. Cared about Anders, left him for dead… loved Lee…" her voice quieted even more. "Lost him too."

Her hand went limp in his and fell from his grasp, landing heavily against the bed. Lee stood there for the longest moment of his life as he tried to digest her words. "Kara?" he whispered against the night, but received no reply. He continued to stand there until he finally heard the soft inhale and exhale of her sleep.

He backed away slowly, regarding her shadowy form in the softness of moonlight. She was drunk, he mentally reminded himself as he reached the door. His hand grasped the knob and he quietly pulled it closed, leaving just a small crack of light from the hall to peek through. She was drunk and probably missing Galactica, the same as he was.

Lee knew that she'd probably forget everything she'd said come morning.

* * *

To Be Continued… 


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe.

* * *

**Wing and a Prayer  
****Part 6**

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

Kara knelt beside Lee's bed and flicked on the nearby lamp. She watched him for a moment as his eyelids fluttered in the throws of sleep. Even while he rested she could see the lines of stress around the corners of his eyes and at the bridge of his nose. Kara hated to think that she had anything to do with those marred features, but she knew it was probably true.

Her head still hurt a little, but it was nothing compared to the ache she felt in her stomach. It wasn't from the alcohol. She wasn't even sure what it was from. Her left hand hovered over his forehead, wishing to smooth over the stressed lines. There was so much she wished to put right between them, but she had no idea where to start.

"Lee," she finally whispered his name as her hand dropped away to her side. There was no response from his sleeping form. Carefully, she lowered her head to rest against his chest. He was warm against her cheek and she could hear the gentle thump of his heart. Suddenly there were only two words that seemed fitting. "I'm sorry."

Lee shifted as he felt himself being pulled from the depths of sleep. He could see a faint light through his closed eyelids and felt a slight pressure pushed upon his chest. Slowly his eyes fluttered open. He focused in on the weight against him and was surprised by what he found. "Kara…" he felt his heartbeat quicken.

"You're awake," she lifted her head, caught slightly off guard.

"I am now," Lee regarded her for a moment. Her eyes looked different, more honest than he'd seen them in a long time. The presence of her closeness was almost too much. "You should be in bed, sleeping off your hangover," he tried to avoid her eyes.

She smiled sadly. "Maybe," Kara agreed that the alcohol was still working its way through her system. But despite that she felt more awake than she had in a long time, yet still very drained. It seemed she was always at war within. The faint memory of Lee removing her shoes and putting her to bed danced in her head. There had been words expelled, words that she wished could have been spoken without the help of alcohol to loosen her tongue. "Move over," she gently pushed at him and crawled up onto the bed beside him.

"Kara, you shouldn't…" Lee was a bit flustered by her actions.

"I don't want to go back to my own bed, it's too quiet in there," she settled above the thin sheet that still covered him. "Helo and Sharon fell asleep in the lounge, again," she noted. They'd all verbally agreed to boys and girls quarters. But as the weeks passed it became more and more clear that Helo and Sharon were not joining them at night. There soon became unspoken agreement to that arrangement.

She turned on her side and faced him. "Do you want to go out and play in the rain?" Kara asked.

Lee squinted at her in the dim light of the lamp, confused by her words. It seemed a rather odd sudden shift. "What rain, Kara?" he asked in return. "We've been here a month on this dry patch of land, no sign of rain yet."

A finger went to his lips, silencing him. "Just listen," she prodded.

They both stopped talking long enough for Lee to finally hear the soft splat of rain drops against the roof. It actually brought a smile to his face that he hadn't been expecting. The last time they'd seen rain was on Kobal as it had fallen in sheets against them. It hadn't been the most ideal situation for crossing rugged terrain. But they'd made it, together.

"Come on, get up," she sat and tugged at his arm. "I want to sneak out and you're coming with me."

Lee groaned. "Sneak? You _are_ still drunk." he replied, not making any sort of move to get out of the comfortable bed. After so many long months spent sleeping on Galactica's bunks, he was not of a mind to give up a good nights sleep so easily, especially for one of Kara's crazy ideas.

"I just want to see the rain," Kara's voice took on an air of longing that he had a hard time refusing. "I want to feel it. Earth's rain," she looked to him, pleadingly. "It's different than the ocean, Lee. It's newer, cleaner somehow; cleansing."

His logical brain told him that the rain was the same water as the ocean, just recycled into the atmosphere and brought down again. But hearing her passionate about something as simple as rain, it was hard not to be broken by her will. "How do you expect to get past our guard?" He finally asked, reason winning out again.

She grinned mischievously. "Same way I did all those teenage years when I snuck past my mom, a window and a tree," Kara informed him.

"Who knew you were such a traditionalist?" Lee sighed, knowing exactly where he was headed. "But there is no tree," he still tried to argue the fine points of her plan, though he'd pretty much resigned himself to follow. Where Kara went, it seemed he was destined to trail.

Her shoulders shrugged. "It doesn't matter; we're on the first floor," she countered. Kara smiled again as she crawled over him and went to the window at the side of his bed. She opened the latch and pushed it open easily enough. Looking over her shoulder, she spoke, "The guard is sleeping out front, I already checked." Kara didn't say any more as she climbed out the window, leaving him alone to make his final decision.

His hands balled up the sheet that covered him as he tossed the white cotton aside. Lee groaned again but couldn't help the small smile from forming on his lips. He hated the way she always managed to get under his skin. He'd thought he was finally free of their constant cat and mouse routine. But apparently the Gods would not be satisfied until his decent into madness was complete. It seemed they wouldn't let go until he was completely trapped by her.

He pulled on a t-shirt and jeans, slipped on a pair of running shoes, all of which he'd acquired after landing on Earth. Then he jumped out of the window like some rebellious teenager. Lee pulled it closed behind him; just enough not to let the rain in but making sure it didn't close and lock them out. The summer rain was warm against his face, running through his hair as he stood staring into the darkness of night. There were a few street lights but they didn't give off much glow. He searched for the direction Kara might have headed.

Making his best guess, he followed the path that he knew led to a nearby park. The rain began to let up a little but it still fell enough to soak his clothes and shoes. He wandered around with squishy feet, his head turning from side to side as he kept an eye out for her. The park was even darker. The only light was from high above in the night sky, a sliver of moon making its presence known through a break in the clouds.

Lee shook his head, regretting the fact that his body had betrayed him by waking up. He'd still be fast asleep in bed if it weren't for that smell that had woken him. It hadn't been the light from the lamp she turned on or even the weight of her head against his chest. But the scent of her, a mixture of stale booze, sweat and roses. He didn't know why, but he always got a whiff of fresh roses when she was nearby. Lee wondered if had lingered upon her skin from all those years ago when they'd first met. Zak had invited him to meet his girl and there stood Kara flanked by a bunch of red roses at the edge of a grassy field where they had eventually held their picnic.

He shook his head of the memories and was just about to forget the whole ridiculous hunt he was on and head back, when something attacked him from behind. His knees nearly buckled under the assaulting weight. "Gotcha!" she shouted as Lee felt her jump on his back. Her arms latched onto his neck and legs wound around his mid section with the ease of a lithe cat.

"Frak, Kara!" he shouted into the warm midnight air.

"Did I scare you?" her voice held a hint of a smile, though he couldn't see her face.

Lee angrily disentangled her legs and arms and shrugged her weight off. He spun around and faced her just in time to watch as she landed hard on her butt. Another curse posed at the tip of his tongue but he caught himself before the words could exit. Lee reached a hand down as he regarded her with regret in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Kara stared at him for a long moment before taking his hand. For a second she considered pulling him down with her onto the muddy ground where she'd landed. But she realized his brief reprieve should be taken seriously, and allowed him to help her up. They stood silently for an agonizingly long moment.

"What about the others, Lee?" the question came as a surprise to both of them.

Mostly it confused him. "What are you talking about?"

"The fleet, Galactica," she started to clarify. "We're standing here on Earth, playing, eating, living in the lap of luxury," Lee tried not to laugh as he thought only Kara would consider military quarters and three squares a day to be the lap of luxury. "They should be here too," she concluded.

At last Lee had confirmation of what had helped set off her drinking binge. Of course she'd see their accident as a failure. She hadn't been able to go back to Caprica to save those people, to save Sam Anders, and now she hadn't been able to get everyone in the fleet to Earth. He knew the kind of guilt she liked to carry around with her.

"We'll get them here, eventually," Lee spoke, trying to sound reassuring. "Even if we have to retrace our steps and make the journey back the long way," he hoped he was making some head way, but it was hard to tell. "Kara, you're been so happy here these last few weeks. I've never seen you so consistently on top of things. The way you've organized the building of this new Raptor and taken on diplomatic duties. You shouldn't let Sharon's discovery stand in the way of being proud of what we've accomplished here so far."

She thought over his optimistic stance, while the failure still rattled around in her head. She _had_ been happy the last few weeks, inexplicably so at times. Earth had cemented her faith. It was real and they had found it. It was the end of an impossible goal but the beginning of another. "You know, all of this would be easier if the people here liked us."

Lee was a little surprised to hear that she cared what others thought of her. "That might be easier if you didn't go breaking their trust by getting drunk," he replied. "They're testing us, Kara. They're being cautious, which is entirely reasonable. I'm sure we'd do the same thing if the roles were reversed. We have to continue building better relationships with the people of Earth. Besides, the general already likes you. He calls to talk to you a lot more than me. I think he might have a crush," Lee teased, bringing them back around to a lighter note.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Oh please, he's older than Adama," she shrugged off his comment. They wandered further into the park without really realizing it. A small play area was set up with a slide, a swing set and some other items they'd never had on the colonies. "But thanks," Kara spoke again as she sat down on one of the swings. "You know, for what you said about our accomplishments here so far."

"It's the truth," he shrugged it off as no big deal; though a thank you from Kara Thrace was hardly nothing. Lee felt like they were actually starting to make some sort of connection again after all that had deflated between them before finding Earth.

Kara dipped her head as she pushed off with her feet and pumped her legs, causing the swing to move back and forth. "I wish you could be so honest about other things," she replied in a whisper.

Lee caught the words. "What other things?" he was curious as he moved to the swing on her left and sat down, emulating her motions as they both began to move back and forth. They passed each other, Lee going backward and Kara forward. Then the motions reversed.

A weary sigh emitted before she bravely took hold of what she'd wanted to say for a while. "Look, it's no secret okay. I know you're upset with me, I just wish you'd come out and say it."

Lee nodded. "Well, getting drunk was pretty stupid but I think you already know that," he replied.

She drug her feet along the ground, slowing her swing. "That's not what I'm talking about. I meant about us being here, me getting you stuck here on this planet. I know you didn't want to even be on that Raptor. I know the old man made you come along to watch over me," the swing started up again as she looked away.

"That's not true," Lee started to protest. He halted his movements and glanced over at her. "Okay, so it is true," he admitted.

She nodded, biting her bottom lip. "Well, I'm sorry it's me that you're stuck with and not her."

He gritted his teeth. Lee watched as she tried to make her swing go even higher, an avoidance tactic if he ever saw one. He reached out and grabbed the chain, yanking her swing a bit and getting her to face him again. "Why do you always assume that you know what I'm thinking?" he asked, not exactly sure where the words had sprung from. "Why don't you ever listen, Kara? Or are you afraid of what you might hear?"

Kara was surprised but she wasn't about to let him get the better of her. "No, I'm afraid of what I might not hear," she shot back.

Lee heard the words but he wouldn't allow them to sink in. He put his guard up again and returned to the dance that they did best. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that we're going to get back to Galactica and then you can go find this Anders person and you won't have to be hung up on any more dead guys."

She was amazed at how he had completely circumnavigated what she'd tried to say. Kara knew Lee was just as good at avoidance as she was, but she was finally sick and tired of it. "Now who's not listening? Why do you always think I'm so hung up on the past?"

He scoffed. "I don't know, Kara. Maybe it's because you pretty much spelled it out for me a few weeks ago and then left me high and dry," Lee retorted. "And maybe it's because of this," he pointed to the silver ring on her finger. "And this," he tugged on the chain that held her single dog tag, pulling it out from beneath her shirt. "I think the evidence speaks for itself."

"They're just objects," Kara shook her head, grasping the tag in her right hand.

Lee gave her a disdainful look as he watched her. "Forgive me if I don't believe you," he voiced. "But I was with Zak the day he got that ring at his high school Pyramid championship. I know how much it meant to him and I know what it meant for him to give it to you. I also know that you don't lose things very easily. So whatever happened to your missing dog tag, I imagine it was intentional," Lee arched a questioning eyebrow her way.

"I gave it to Sam," she revealed.

"I rest my case," he leapt from the swing as if it were on fire. "We should get back," Lee was nearly half way across the park when he heard Kara call after him. He stopped to listen, despite his better judgment.

"I gave it to him as a promise, Lee," Kara paused as she caught up to him, standing so close she could see those lines of frustration throbbing in his forehead. "I swore that I'd be back to get him and the rest of those people off Caprica."

"That sounds like it meant something," Lee tried to hold back the accusation from his tone but it was hard.

"Yes, okay," she admitted. "It meant something," Kara agreed. "When I left Galactica in the Cylon raider I was so confused, Lee. The Admiral had flat out lied to me and you were pissed at me. Then I met Sam, and he was a good guy who didn't ask a lot of questions. He didn't know the history or the scars, and I got caught up in the moment because that's what I do, Lee. I get stuck in moments," she dropped her gaze as an unsteady breath emitted. "When I came back and I saw you again, that hug and then the kiss, listening to you tell me that you loved me… I was even more confused."

"You mean scared?" Lee challenged.

She stood silently for a moment. "Yes, scared," Kara looked him in the eye. "So I threw myself into what I could control and did everything possible to convince Roslin and Adama to let me go back to Caprica. I just wanted to keep my promise, Lee. For once I wanted to make something right," Kara ended, wondering if she'd ever be able to make things right with him.

He felt his resolve falter a little as the impact of her honest words hit him. "And if you'd made it back?" he continued to prod her because it was what he knew best. Letting himself fall completely was not a good idea, he'd already let himself do that once. "And if you'd found that Sam was alive?"

Kara threw up her hands. "I don't know, that didn't happen," she shook her head. "I ended up here instead, with you. And I'm not sorry because when I think about all the people I'd like to share this experience with, you're the only one that I see."

"That's great, Kara," his words were filled with sarcasm. Lee still couldn't allow himself to latch on to the hope he heard echoing in the back of his head. All he could focus on was hurting her the way she'd hurt him. "Happy I could be your guy for this particular adventure," he snapped.

"Frak you, Lee Adama!" Kara exploded, but she didn't hit him and she didn't walk away. Instead, she got right up in his face and finally let herself reveal a secret she'd kept buried for a long time. "Frak you for making me feel something that I never wanted to feel again."

He stood there, completely befuddled by her words. "Kara, what are you talking about?"

There was no hesitation in her voice as she replied. "Love," the word swam from her lips and hit him right between the eyes. "I'm talking about love, you fraking idiot," she continued. Lee was paralyzed by the word. He'd heard her utter something similar earlier, as the effects of alcohol had loosened her tongue. But he'd buried the words, afraid of their true possibility. The truth was he was scared too.

"Do you see this ocean?" her voice was softer.

Lee finally came to his senses again and looked down at what she was talking about. "Kara, that's a mud puddle," he glanced at the small gathering of rain water that had formed at the base of a tree.

"No it's not," she countered, moving forward and placing a hand over his eyes before he could say a word of protest. "Use your imagination Lee," she whispered in his ear. "The waves are rolling in and out, the sky above us is blue, the sand is warm beneath our feet and the sun is shinning down. And you're standing beside me, our first glimpse at an ocean on Earth," she removed her hand.

He opened his eyes, still remembering how they'd felt so carefree on that beach their first day on the planet. Lee looked down at her hand and spotted her ring and the single dog tag, both resting loose in her palm. He wasn't sure what kind of dream he was trapped in but he didn't speak, for fear of waking up. Lee watched as she slowly tipped her hand and let the two items fall into the puddle, swallowed by the muddy water.

She looked him in the eye again. "I know it's not quite the same gesture, but if we were at that ocean again right now, I'd still do the same thing," her voice grew in strength. Kara didn't sound lost or confused any longer. There was Starbuck fire behind her tone, a frak-anyone-who-tries-to-get-in-my-way resolve. "I'd toss them as far as I could into the waves. Because those things don't mean as much to me as you do," she revealed, nervous as she'd ever been in her entire life. "I used them, and Sam and Baltar, all to hide from you. I didn't think I could let myself feel those things again after losing Zak, especially not with his brother. But sometimes we don't get to choose our actions, or our feelings."

"Kara, I… I don't know what to…" Lee choked on the words. "You don't have to give those things up for my sake." Suddenly he was singing a different tune, afraid of the completely blank slate she was offering him.

"Yes, I think I do," she nodded. "I don't want any more walls between us, Lee. Zak is gone, maybe Anders is too. But you're still here and I'm right here," she moved in even closer. "Don't you think that means something?"

"It means I win by default?" Lee questioned as he smelt roses again and tried not to get lost in the scent.

"Frak, Lee," she shook her head. "You still don't get it do you?" there was frustration in her voice but she wasn't going to run any more. She was too tired of running. Instead she pushed him up against the tree, and kissed him.

It was a brief touch of lips at first as she tested the waters. Lee didn't pull away and neither did she. Their tentative nature dissolved as the kiss quickly grew deeper. Lee found himself lost in roses and rainwater. Her wet clothes stuck to his as her lips consumed him. She didn't jerk away from his touch and she didn't seem consumed by any desire to vanquish ghosts. So he deepened the kiss even further.

xxx

Kara woke in the bed, lying beside him. Her hair was draped messily over his shoulder as she lay on her stomach, head turned toward the open window. His soft snoring sounded in her ear as the first beams of morning sun danced over her pale skin. The rain was gone, having done its job to cleanse their souls. She closed her eyes briefly and retreated to memories of the long night. Things hadn't ended with the kiss she'd initiated after dropping the past into her puddle-ocean.

She'd fraked him against that tree. It had been frantic and needy between them, years of pent up emotion draining away in the short span of a few minutes. Later, they'd made love, taking things slower. There'd been no less need in their actions the second time, but they'd allowed themselves to show their true adoration of one another.

The bed shifted slightly and Kara could hear the change in his breathing. She flopped over, leaning against his body and facing him. Neither one of them spoke as he greeted her with a small kiss on the side of her head. Kara watched as he pulled back, looking at her as if he were inspecting a Viper before taking it out for a spin.

"Why are you staring?" Kara was feeling more than a little vulnerable. She had used sex a thousand times over to get what she wanted. But sleeping with Lee Adama, there was absolutely nothing on her dradis screen to compare it to. Kara had never felt so whole before. It both scared and thrilled her.

"I just… it's nothing," Lee shook his head.

"You thought I was going to be gone?" Kara ventured.

He nodded. "I've had that dream before."

"So have I," she confided.

"I love you, Kara Thrace," Lee whispered. He'd said the same words the night before, several times over in the throws of passion. But saying it now held so much more power. He regarded her nervously as she remained silent. "Now you're the one staring," he noted.

"I'm just waiting for you to take it back," there was no tone of playfulness in her voice.

He shook his head; sorry for the way he'd acted so aloof that day after seeing her again. She was right, what she'd said earlier, all of the emotions at that time had been too jumbled to make any sense out of them. "I can't," he finally replied. "You said so yourself, no take backs," he teased her with her own words.

A small smile bloomed on her face but it faded all too quickly. "I guess I'm just waiting for the next disaster, the next turning point in all this when we fall apart again. We go back to Galactica and all this fades from memory, you see her again and…"

"No," Lee stopped her. "It doesn't work like that this time," he waved a finger between the two of them. "You and me, _this_ is not nothing, this is love," he explained. "I used Dee, like you used Sam. I don't love her and she's not the one I want to be with. I love you," Lee told her again. "I love you here on Earth; I'll love you on Galactica if we ever return… I'll love you among the stars and anywhere else we might happen to find ourselves. I love you, Kara, the end."

"I love you too," the words dripped from her lips more easily than she could have imagined. "But this is far from the end." For the first time, she was able to say the words and not fear them to be a curse upon the one she proclaimed her love. She'd lost so much but she vowed then and there that she was not going to lose Lee Adama.

xxx

Karl watched his best friend as she flittered around the flight bay, from task to task. As long as he'd known Kara Thrace he'd never thought to use the word flitter where she was concerned. But there was no more fitting word at the moment. She seemed to have made a complete turn around from the drunken state they'd seen the night before. At breakfast her demeanor had been on the edge of nauseatingly sweet and at work for the last few hours, Karl had rarely seen her without a smile on her face. It just wasn't natural.

Sharon looked to Helo with questioning eyes as they tried to figure out the Raptor's fuel cells. There was nothing comparable to Tillium on Earth so they were testing multiple other fuel options to get the new and old birds up flying again. So far they'd found that something called bio-diesel was having the most effective reaction but they had more options to try.

"You look distracted," she noted as her eyes followed his to where Kara had finally settled to work on the new Raptor's primary buffer coils. They both caught the captain as her eyes wandered over to where Lee had set up shop.

The major was across the room fiddling with a laptop computer that the general had just given to them that morning. One of the guards on duty was going over some lessons on how to use something the people of Earth called the internet. It was a large search engine that bridged some of the planets most vast sources of information.

"There's something going on between those two," Karl remarked as he turned his attention back to Sharon and their task.

"There's always been something going on between those two," she replied, recalling Boomer's memories of the pair just after the attacks. There'd been talk among the Galactica pilots non-stop about Apollo and Starbuck. There had even been bets.

Karl nodded, though he still felt it was something more than usual. "Are you okay this morning?" he finally asked Sharon, sensing that something was different with her as well. She'd been fairly reserved after they first landed on Earth. But he contributed that to Hera's loss still being fresh in both their minds.

After a few weeks she'd started to throw herself into the work, but not with a lot of purpose. Today she seemed more focused. "What we found out yesterday, that changed something didn't it?" he continued to prod her.

"Yeah," she nodded. "It did," Sharon stopped what she was doing for a moment. "Until now I've felt like I was just trying to do my part to stay alive here and to try and get into Apollo and Kara's good graces," she noted. "Now, I don't know why but I feel like what we're doing here means more than just giving Earth technology. It all feels like there's a purpose to it, something greater than space exploration capabilities."

"Because of what happened with you and Kara having that connection?" Helo ventured. "Your team work?"

"Maybe that's stupid," Sharon shrugged. "But ever since Hera," she paused a moment, remembering the pain of losing her child. "I couldn't get past that. I loved her so much and losing her was the worst thing, but…"

"But what?" Karl wasn't sure where she was going with her line of thought. They hadn't really talked about Hera much. They shared the loss and tried to stay as close as possible but there hadn't been much in the way of words until now.

"I just wonder what would have happened if Hera were alive," Sharon revealed. "I wouldn't have agreed to this mission if she were with us on Galactica. Or at least with you," she amended, realizing that she might not have been able to see the girl much. "And then maybe Kara wouldn't have gotten to Earth, wouldn't have been here to do this important work. I don't know if that makes any sense at all."

Karl smiled. "I don't either," he replied. "But I'm happy to see you living again. I… I was worried for a while," Karl confessed. "I thought I might lose you too."

"Afraid you're stuck with me," she smiled encouragingly, trying to steer the conversation away from the painful stuff.

"Good," he nodded, getting back to work. "I hope there is something more to all this too," Karl had barely gotten the words out when he heard Lee's shout from across the bay.

They watched as he carried the computer under his arm and made his way toward them. "Kara!" Lee called out and waved her over when she finally lifted her head from the Raptor's innards. "There's some interesting information here," he sat down beside Karl and brought up the screen again as Kara came to join them.

Sharon and Karl noticed the look that passed between their two companions. It was a smile that carried more than just a friendly exchange of greeting. In fact, they knew the look very well. Sharon shrugged and shook her head at Karl, letting him know it wasn't a good time to bring anything up. They turned their attention to what Lee seemed so excited about.

"I found all sorts of information on Earth's space programs," he showed them some images of dusty footprints and a flag that looked familiar. "1969 was the first time anyone from this planet walked on the moon, it was part of a mission in the Apollo program," they were all intrigued by the project's name. "However, the last moon walk was in the Earth year 1972. According to the current calendar year that was nearly 40 years ago. And the rest of their space missions have involved far less than moon walks, mostly satellite and probe launches and the building of the current International Space Station."

"40 years ago we were fighting the first Cylon war," Kara pointed out. "We'd already created artificial intelligence so powerful that they learned to take on a mind of their own. Not to mention we had interplanetary space flight far before that. If the colonists left Kobal all those years ago, they had to have pretty advanced technology to get here."

"So what do you think happened?" Karl asked, looking to Kara then Lee. "They landed here, crashed maybe and forgot everything they ever knew about space travel and the colonies?"

"I don't know," Lee answered. "It doesn't seem likely but…"

"Captain Thrace!" a guard across the room called over to them. He held out a phone and nodded for her to come over. "There's a call for you," the man stated.

"A call?" Kara frowned as she stood up. "I don't even know anyone on this planet," she shrugged, leaving the group behind.

Lee continued his internet search as Helo glanced over at Sharon. She quickly left the two men alone, not wanting any part of the conversation she figured Helo had in mind. "So, you and Kara seem to be closer?" Karl tried to nonchalantly ease into a conversation with the man. Apollo looked up at him with questioning eyes. "I just mean, you seem…" Helo shook his head. "Okay, let's forget the niceties here. If you hurt her, I'll hurt you," he concluded.

"I believe you," Lee replied, without revealing anything of substance.

Karl didn't get a chance to reply as Kara came sauntering back to their position. "We're going to Russia," she announced without preamble.

"Russia?" Lee forgot all about his computer and the uneasiness of Helo's piercing eyes. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"Commander Yuri Laika, from the space station," she refreshed his memory. "That's who I was talking to," Kara gestured over to the area where she'd just been on the phone. "He asked us to come and visit his country. Apparently he has something important he wants to discuss with us and the general has agreed to let us go. We leave tomorrow morning. We're finally going to see more of Earth," she grinned.

* * *

_To Be Continued…_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe.

Thank you all for reading!

* * *

**Wing and a Prayer  
****Part 7**

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

The afternoon sun shown down as Lee and Kara stood atop a bridge overlooking the Neva River. They enjoyed a taste of freedom and watched the bustling city from their vantage point. The vast waterway cut through the city as far as their eyes could see. Buildings of all shapes and sizes lined the streets and the river's bank. The area was lively with people and vehicles, but it was also green and rather tranquil. It reminded them both a little of the Buller River district on Caprica, before the Cylons had come to destroy their world.

Lee took her hand in his as they walked to the nearby park where they were meant to meet the Commander. He was happy to note that she didn't try to pull away from him. Holding hands was a simple gesture that would have felt completely odd a few days ago. But a lot had changed between them very quickly and Lee could only hope for that trend to continue.

"I think Helo suspects that something is going on between us," Lee mentioned casually as they passed a woman with two small children. "Actually, he said he'd hurt me if I hurt you." Kara chuckled, and her carefree laughter caught Lee a little off guard. He couldn't recall the last time he'd heard such a wonderful sound.

"You're not afraid of him are you?" Kara asked. She turned toward him and some of the playfulness dropped from her tone. "I guess I have been acting a little different the last two days," she noted. "Maybe I should start picking fights with you again when we get back."

"Don't you dare," Lee squeezed her hand.

Her smile returned with an added bit of mischief. "But don't you like how our last fight ended?" she arched a brow at him and chuckled again as he shifted uncomfortably at her suggestive tone. They continued their walk for a while in companionable silence, enjoying the time away. "Do you feel kind of bad, leaving Helo and Sharon behind?" Kara was the first to speak up again.

Lee shook his head. "Somehow, I don't think those two will mind having the house to them selves." He didn't mention the part about how glad he was to be alone with Kara. "Plus, General Mason finally lifted our house arrest. They'll be free to wander as they please."

"Do you think the general knows we snuck out the other night?"

Lee shrugged. "It's possible. Maybe he realized he couldn't keep us locked up forever."

"Or maybe we finally earned his seal of approval?" Kara ventured, though she knew her recent behavior had not really warranted reward.

"I guess that's possible," there was a bit of doubt in Lee's mind over that conclusion. He didn't entirely distrust the man but he hadn't really warmed up to him either. "Or maybe he really does have a crush on you," Lee couldn't stop himself from teasing her. Even though he didn't want to fight with her, Lee had to admit that he liked the way her face screwed up when she was flustered.

Kara crinkled her nose up and resisted a desire to stick her tongue out at him. "Well, between Helo and the general, I think you might be in trouble," she shot back. Kara hoped she was covering her awkwardness well enough. It was true that she'd been happier on Earth than just about anywhere else she could remember. And being with Lee like she was now, it was more than she could have imagined for her life. It was also completely foreign to her. Even though she'd vowed the other morning not to lose him, that fear was a hard thing to let go of.

As if sensing her thoughts, Lee drew her closer as they stopped by an old wooden park bench. He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a moment, savoring the feeling of being on their own. They couldn't help their lips from finding each other, getting caught up in the romantic setting of a beautiful city.

"Captain Thrace, Major Adama!" Laika's excited voice called out causing Kara and Lee to jump apart like teenagers who'd just been caught by their father. They both turned to greet the Russian Commander. The last time they'd seen Yuri Laika he'd been wearing a uniform and a warning glare as they were escorted from the space station. He faced them now in casual civilian clothing and a friendly smile on his face.

"Commander Laika," Lee addressed the man formally. "Thank you for inviting us to visit your country," he held his hand out and was rewarded by a firm handshake from the slightly older man.

Laika turned his attention to Kara and kissed her on each cheek. "Please, here in the city of my birth you will call me Yuri," he implored. They both noted that his accent was decidedly different from what they'd heard of those in Southern California.

"In that case, it's Kara," she answered his request with one of her own. "And Lee," she motioned to the man at her side.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, properly," Laika replied. "I hope that St. Petersburg has been treating you well so far. I thought you might like to see more of this planet than the inside of a NASA base."

Lee and Kara had certainly been enjoying themselves in the short time they'd been in Russia. They'd landed the day before, late afternoon. A nice meal had been shared in a small café, followed by a moonlight cruise down one of the canals near their hotel. And they'd slept in a modest but cozy room and woken to a lovely sunny morning. They hadn't seen too much of the city but it was a welcome change from the drab desert. "It's a beautiful city," Kara let the man know.

Yuri nodded. "We should sit," he motioned them toward the bench and the three of they managed to fit comfortably. "Tell me, are you really from outer space?" he didn't waste any time getting to the heart of his curiosity.

Kara laughed and Lee was stymied for a moment. "Yes," he finally answered. "But I don't think that's something NASA wants getting out," Lee added.

"No, this is true," Yuri agreed. "It took a lot of arm twisting for me to get you here. But I have been fascinated by the prospect of these rumors being true, you being from another world."

"Worlds, actually," Kara interrupted. "There are twelve colonies where we come from. There _were_ twelve colonies," she amended.

The commander looked even more intrigued by her revelation. "I imagine your journey here is, uh, how the American's say, long story?" Lee and Kara both nodded. "I would very much like to hear about it. But first, I must confess, my son Peter would really like to meet you. He is ten years old and more enamored by space flight than I am," the man chuckled. "He plans to follow in my footsteps when he is old enough," Yuri seemed very proud of the fact.

"I'd love to meet him," Kara spoke up. Seeing Lee question her enthusiasm, she just shrugged.

"Perhaps then, you will join my family and me for a picnic," Laika waved a hand in the direction of a woman and a young boy that were seated at a table across the park.

Soon they were being introduced to Yuri's family, his wife Anna and the boy, Peter. Both were very welcoming to their foreign visitors. Anna insisted that they eat first before any heavy amount of storytelling. They enjoyed a simple meal of fresh fruit, vegetables and cold meats and cheeses. Yuri also introduced them to a new drink called Vodka, which Kara liked very much.

Kara and Lee finally delved into the history of their trip across the cosmos to find Earth. They left out a few important details about the Cylons but were fairly honest about the rest. Young Peter grilled them for a short while about space. He was a little disappointed to learn that they'd never seen any little green men with antennas. Otherwise he was rapt with interest to everything they said.

Anna saved them from further pre-teen curiosity as she insisted the boy needed a bit of exercise. The two of them headed off for a walk around the park, leaving Yuri alone with their guests again. "My reason for asking you here is fairly simple," the commander began. "I am curious about your technology and what plans NASA has to share it with the world."

Both Lee and Kara weren't sure what to say. General Mason hadn't discussed the matter much and they hadn't wished to push any buttons. "I guess we assumed it would be shared by everyone on this planet," Lee answered, a bit naively.

"I see," Yuri looked thoughtful for a moment. "For many years, my country Russia and the USA were at war, what we called a Cold War. It was during this time that both countries carried on a sort of race, to see who would make the first advances in space flight and exploration. I tell you this because there is long history between these two countries, some good and some very bad."

"You think the US will use our technology against you?" Lee was surprised. Earth was a bit of a conundrum, still splintered into many different governments. The colonies had been united under one ruling body long before he and Kara had been born. They'd never known war until the Cylons rebelled.

"No," Yuri shook his head. "No, that is not my fear at all. Our countries will not know war again, I am most certain of that fact. But I do fear that not all of Earth will be treated to the same consideration, as we will, in regards to your technology. In many ways this planet is still very much a divided world," he confirmed Lee's earlier thoughts. "We have no international space agency. We come together among the stars on our station, but on this land things are still quite different."

Kara felt a weight slip onto her shoulders again. Finding Earth had lifted one load but Yuri's words had just brought down another. "I hope I have not burdened you in any way," Yuri shook his head regretfully. "That was not my intent. I just wanted you to be aware of certain things. I pray that we will not have to worry at all about these matters but the secrecy so far troubles me," he concluded.

Lee looked to Kara, neither of them sure what to think. "It's good that you told us," Kara was the first to respond. "You've been very honest with us today and I think it's time we show you the same respect," she continued, noticing the uneasy look that Lee was flashing her way. Kara smiled at him and shrugged. "After what you've told us, I have a feeling that General Mason has not been completely honest with you about us."

The Commander sat back and listened as Kara, and eventually Lee, filled in all the other details that they'd left out of their earlier story. From the creation of the Cylons, to the first war, all the way up until the point in which their story broke off from the rest of the fleet. They laid it all out for Yuri to contemplate. "We tell you this because our problem could become your problem if they manage to follow us here to Earth," Kara let him know.

"Now it is my turn to thank you for being honest," Laika replied as his wife and son approached. "It seems we both have some very serious considerations to make about our future."

xxx

Lee slipped his hand into Kara's as they exited the shuttle van, returning from their whirlwind three-day vacation. There was blue sky above them and no sign of rain on any horizon. It was hot and only getting hotter according to the corporal who had driven them. The heart of summer was approaching and that meant long days and nights of blistering desert temperatures.

"It's good to be home," Kara quipped as they followed the path to the flight hanger.

He squeezed her hand a little tighter for a second. "Are you okay?" Lee asked. "You've been pretty quiet since we left Russia," he had a feeling there was a lot on her mind, like there was on his.

When the picnic with Yuri and his family had ended, they'd explored the city a little by taking a long walk. After returning to their hotel, they'd fallen asleep and were back on a plane the next morning. Most of the long return flight to the states had been spent sleeping or sampling Earth videos and television programs. They'd managed to avoid any serious discussion, trying to enjoy the last few hours of their break.

"I thought Earth would be different," Kara breathed in deeply. "It was meant to be our salvation. It was our hope for a new start, but what if all we're doing here is condemning these people to the same mistakes we made, the same hell we brought on ourselves?" she shook her head as they stopped just outside the complex that led to the general's office.

The shade of the building was a welcome sensation on their warm skin. Lee let go of Kara's hand in favor of wrapping his arms around her. "We won't let what happened to the colonies, happen here," he answered her, hoping to ally her doubts. "We're going to make a home here and we'll do it without bringing death to these people," Lee pressed his confidence into her with a kiss upon the forehead.

Kara felt a little calmer in his embrace. She took a few more cleansing breaths before pulling out of his hug. "In that case, I'm going to have a little chat with the general," she made a move toward the door with renewed direction.

"What kind of talk, Kara?" Lee asked as he entered behind her and ducked into the cool hallway. They walked side by side toward the general's office. "Kara?" he still hadn't received any sort of an answer from her. "Don't keep me out of the loop here."

Her right hand was positioned on the general's outer office doorknob, ready to turn it as she finally replied. "I'm going to ask him about a little press conference," Kara didn't enlighten him any further as she disappeared behind the glass door.

Lee sighed, knowing he probably didn't want to know what she was planning. Anyway, he figured he'd find out sooner or later. He quickly made his way down the two flights of stairs to the flight bay and spotted Sharon and Helo hard at work. "Is this thing space worthy yet?" Lee asked as he came to stand beside the bird.

The new Raptor was a hybrid of colonial technology mixed with Earth materials. They'd actually found a few new metal alloys and some variations of plastics that worked far better than anything they'd had on the colonies. The new Raptor would be lighter on its feet, yet more efficient and sturdier. It was a true feat of engineering on all of their parts.

"She'll be ready in a few days," Helo answered confidently. "Where's Kara? The two of you have a nice vacation while Sharon and I were here working our butts off?" the man asked, his tone mostly jovial.

"What was Russia like?" Sharon asked.

"It was nice," Lee was a little unsure what to say about their trip. He was more curious by Sharon's attitude. She seemed genuinely curious and somewhat more upbeat than when he'd last seen her. For a while he didn't ever think he'd be able to look at her and not see the machine that had shot his father. But the more time passed between them, the more those images faded from memory. "It was a lovely city, lots of rivers and bridges. It reminded us both of Caprica's river walk. Commander Laika was very hospitable," he did his best to give them a little more explanation than just, nice.

"Well, I'm glad you had some fun while we slaved away here," Helo chuckled. He glanced around the room. "So, where is Kara?" he asked again.

Lee winced. "Apparently, she's talking to the general about a press conference." He quickly grabbed the Raptor's progress chart, hoping they wouldn't ask anything more just yet. True to Helo's word, the bird looked like it would be ready for a test flight in a day or so. Lee put the chart down and got his hands dirty for a while as he helped them tweak the new gimbal that they'd fashioned. When they were done, he took a step back and happened to glance across the bay to where their original Raptor was parked. "What's going on over there?" Lee motioned toward the ship.

"That's Sharon's little surprise," Helo answered proudly as they all walked over to the Raptor in question. "She's gotten the Cylon computer components up and running again. She even thinks we can feed in the jump coordinates that were salvaged and backtrack our way to Galactica's last known coordinates."

"It will take days rather than the minutes it took us to get here," Sharon added. "I don't think my body could handle another drain like that first time," she concluded.

Lee regarded Sharon and was tempted to wonder what her ulterior motive was, but he bit his tongue on the matter. They were finally getting to a place where they could speak and relate in a fairly normal fashion. Lee didn't want to step on any toes in that regard. "You really have been busy," he noted, looking over the Cylon's handiwork. "I thought the general lifted your house arrest?"

"He did," Sharon spoke up again. "But Helo and I quickly discovered that there's not much on this base worth exploring, aside from one park and a store that has everything you could possibly need in one stop." There was a moment of silence as Sharon contemplated her next move. She looked to Helo, who already knew what was on her mind. He nodded for her to continue. "We also spent some time on that computer the general gave you," she ventured.

Apollo cocked his head in a questioning manner. "Did you find anything more on why Earth doesn't seem to remember the colonies?" he asked.

"Sort of," Helo responded.

"We found several references to the Gods," Sharon seemed eager to take over the conversation. "Mostly in the form of what Earth refers to as, Greek Mythology," she paused, recalling all that she had read up on the matter. "Zeus, Athena, Hera… they're all mentioned in these stories that have been passed on for generations. Some believe in their actual existence but most others think of them as nothing more than a form of fictional entertainment," she revealed.

Lee pondered the information for a moment. "So they don't realize that it all started on Kobal," Lee noted, rather clinically. He'd never been sure what he believed, religiously speaking. Rules and laws had always been his guide, more over than spirituality. But he knew that most of the fleet put their livelihood into the colonial religious beliefs.

"There's not any mention of Kobal from what I could find. But I did discover something else," Sharon was a bit hesitant. "Earth has dozens of different organized religious factions," she revealed.

"So Earth's religious beliefs splinter off from the Colonies," Lee thought about that. "I guess it makes sense considering the way they broke off from the others all those years ago. That's a long time for the evolution of faith to take place."

Sharon nodded. Helo remained silent. "But most of these religions are based on one God," she finally let the biggest secret drop.

Lee instantly flashed to memories of hearing about the Cylons and their belief in one God. His stomach dropped. Some of Earth believing the Gods to be fictitious was one small hurdle in Lee's mind, but hearing her explain about Earth's one God theory concerned him more than a little. Mainly he was worried about Kara's reaction to the news.

"What's going on?" with perfect timing, Kara approached the group. None of them had heard her approach. They'd been too caught up in their conversation.

"Nothing," Lee quickly shot Helo and Sharon a look that let them know to keep quiet on what all had just been discussed between them. He knew they'd have to let Kara in at some point, but too much was going on at the moment to bring this new discovery down on her just yet.

"Right," Kara wasn't stupid by any means, but she figured she'd work the truth out of Lee a little later. "Well, I talked to the general," she seemed rather upbeat for some reason.

"How did that go?" Lee had a bad feeling about her mood. He could tell she was covering disappointment with a mask of confidence. She'd always been good at hiding her feelings in that way. But he guessed it was better than drowning it in a bottle of alcohol.

"Lets see… he pretty much laughed in my face the second I stepped through his door with the idea of a press conference," she replied. "And he dismissed me as soon as I opened my mouth about wanting to tell the world our whole story, everything, including the Cylons."

Lee bit his tongue again, not wanting to point out the obvious flaw in her gung-ho plan. She always did shoot first and think second. Ambushing the General seemed to have worked as well as when she did it to the old man. "So where have you been all this time?" he asked. He doubted that being shot down by the General could have taken nearly an hour. "Kara?"

"I went for a little walk," she revealed, easing her way into the answer. "And I happened to find a reporter just outside the gates. She was still there in hopes of catching a glimpse of a real live alien," Kara grinned.

He sighed. "Kara, please tell me you didn't…"

"Captain Thrace!" General Mason's booming voice interrupted their conversation. It was clear from the tone he'd used that he was not at all amused.

"I think it's safe to assume that she did," Helo whispered as the general stalked across the bay toward them.

His demeanor was stern as he faced Kara. "I want you…" he pointed at her then paused as he looked at all of them in turn. "No, I want all of you in my office now," he demanded, taking off in the direction that he had just come from.

Kara dropped her cocky attitude for a moment as she led the way to the man's office. They were barely inside when the general lit into her. "I don't know how you do things in this Colonial Military of yours, but here, when a superior officer gives an order he expects it to be followed!" he caught his breath for a second. "You do not go behind my back and do whatever you damn well please!" he concluded.

"With all due respect, sir," Kara tried to keep her composure. "Your order went against everything that we are trying to accomplish here. You didn't even listen to reason."

"Reason?" the man questioned her use of the term. "You want to tell this world that we might be under attack by aliens. I don't find that reasonable at all. I find it unacceptable," he snarled.

Taking a deep breath, Kara stayed her ground. "First of all, they are not aliens, they're robots. Second, I understand that we brought this Cylon problem to your doorstep and for that, I do apologize." Her attitude was sincere. She wasn't finished, though. "But we can not change the facts once they're written in stone. The Cylons will undoubtedly come, whether you want them or not. Which means that the people of this planet need to know about this threat and they need access to the technology and training that could help save their lives."

General Mason stood behind his desk, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned in toward Kara, his face strained by stress. "They also need to know that we have the situation under control and what you just did, talking to that reporter, it undermines our position of authority."

"Frak authority!" Kara threw up her hands. Lee and the others took a step back. "The Cylons won't give a damn about authority," she continued. "They came at us without warning and broke a 40 year old peace agreement in the blink of an eye. They destroyed 12 planets the size of this one, like it was all some game they were playing. They took our homes, our family and our friends. They tried to take our hope away too, but somehow we managed to salvage that. And it took form in the prospect of finding Earth," she paused to catch her breath. "We don't want any harm to come to this planet because it's our last hope. We just want to help defend it."

The general was rendered silent by her words. He sighed and took his seat. "I've already spoken to the president. He agrees that we need to gather our forces and address this issue. So, it looks like you get your press conference after all, _Captain_," he was not amused by the way she'd undermined his authority. "I expect you all to be ready to officially greet Earth at 0600 tomorrow morning in the flight bay," he announced. "Now get out of my office!"

Kara laughed as soon as they stumbled into the hallway. It was the only way she knew how to relieve tension, other than sex and alcohol. And she was really trying to do better at not falling back on those crutches right away. "Guess I dodged that bullet, sort of," she tried to smile but the corners of her mouth fell somewhat short of a happy stance.

"Sharon and I will be in the flight bay if you need us," Helo decided a quick getaway would be best as he grabbed Sharon by the hand and took off down the hall. "Thanks for dragging us all in to that, Kara!" he shouted back, over his shoulder. "Just like old times," his voice faded as they disappeared around the corner.

She smiled a little brighter at Karl's words. Then she was left to watch Lee's blank stare for a moment. "I guess you're upset," Kara ventured a guess at his silence. "But I know I did the right thing Lee. So just go ahead and yell at me, get it over with," she stood there, ready for whatever he had to sling at her.

"Marry me," the two words slipped from his lips unbidden.

Her eyebrows furred in confusion. "I'm sorry, what?" she shook her head, hoping to clear whatever it was that had just momentarily struck her dumbfounded.

"Marry me," he repeated without further explanation.

Kara laughed again, thinking for sure that he was making a joke. She was worried when he didn't smile or let on that he was teasing her in any way. Her demeanor sobered considerably. "You know, Lee, I'm finally starting to understand why you took that job as Roslin's military attaché. I think you get a little turned on by women in positions of power."

"Only you, Kara," his face was still overly serious. Listening to her in the general's office had made him prouder than he'd ever been before to be her friend. All those years she'd spent as a hot-shot Viper jock had faded away in an instant as he watched her thrive for a cause worthy of her fighting nature. "You're avoiding the question," Lee noted.

"What question?" she attempted to play dumb.

His eyes never wavered as he locked them on her. "Kara, will you marry me?"

She shuffled her feet nervously for a moment, starting to realize that he wasn't going to let her off so easy. "You were being serious about that?"

He nodded. "Very."

"But, we… Lee, we've barely even…"

"Barely what, Kara?" he prodded her. "Barely even started a relationship? Just recently told each other that we love one another?" Lee took a step toward her. "You and I both know that all of this goes deeper than the fact that we finally just accepted what we've been feeling for a long time."

"But marriage?"

"Why not?" he shrugged.

Kara did a quick mental calculation of the reasons. They were too numerous to wrap her head around. "Oh, I don't know, maybe because I would totally suck at being your wife," she finally answered. "Gods, I can't even say that word without cringing."

Lee smiled as his hand reached out to rest against her waist, drawing her a bit closer. "Maybe you need to rethink your views on wifedom."

"Wifedom?" Kara tried to pull away but found his touch to be rather calming; despite the way she was sweating at the moment. "Are you even listening to the stuff coming out of your mouth right now?"

"Yes, but apparently you aren't listening," he replied. "The other day you told me that you were afraid of what you might not hear from me. Well, it doesn't get much better than this, Kara. This is the good stuff, the stuff I think you've wanted to hear for a long time but were too afraid to hope for. You can hide all you want, but I'm not backing down."

"Lee, the only thing I know about marriage is that it doesn't work," Kara shook her head.

"You're talking about your parents?"

She nodded. "Yes. They were married and they hated each other. They were miserable and so was I," Kara hated going back to those memories but they'd surfaced the second Lee had uttered the word marriage. "I spent so many nights as a child wondering why two people would stay together when they clearly couldn't get along. Then one day, after my father was long gone, I found a certificate of marriage in my mother's desk. I was old enough by that time to do the math. Turns out I was born exactly six months after their marriage. So what does that tell you?"

"That they wanted to try and give you a family," he offered.

"What a load of shit," she broke away from him, pacing the dimly lit hall. "You know better than that, Lee. You know that's the worst possible reason to stay together. Look at your parents."

Lee did know. He knew all too well what it was like to have miserable parents. His father was away for months at a time, sometimes years. And his mother suffered, which meant he and Zak had suffered as well. But he couldn't keep living in the past. He forced her to look at him again. "Guess what, Kara? We are not our parents, not yours or mine. That means we don't have to make their same mistakes."

"No," she scoffed, looking down at her feet. "We can just make our own."

"Maybe," Lee admitted, tilting her chin up. "We probably will make mistakes, it's a risk," he wouldn't deny that fact. He'd been afraid of love and commitment just as long as her, maybe longer. But Kara was the one thing he'd risk anything for. "If we can't even take a risk for love then what the frak is the point of all this?"

"Gods, Lee…" her voice was a breathy whisper as their foreheads touched, arms wrapped around one another. "You are so…"

"Irresistible?" he pressed her against the concrete wall of the complex.

She finally cracked a small smile. "Infuriating, I was going to say infuriating," Kara sighed, closing her eyes for a second as his kiss made her legs weak. "And I must be completely insane to still be listening to all this."

"Beyond insane," Lee countered, a smile bloomed on his face as well. "I believe those were my exact words."

"That's really not helping your case, Adama," she warned in the most non-threatening tone possible.

Lee kissed her again. "Kara, I love you. That's all I need to know. The rest we'll work out. Just tell me you'll at least consider it."

A second passed and her head nodded ever so slightly. "I will," she finally agreed. Kara pushed herself off the wall and skirted around him. "But right now we have even bigger issues to deal with, like how to unite an entire world before the Cylons come to crash the party. Oh, and making sure the general doesn't kill us in the process," she rattled off as they headed back toward the flight bay.

"Sounds easy enough," he grinned, trailing after her. The only important words he'd heard was her agreement to think about his marriage proposal. Any other guy in the universe probably would have been upset at such an apparent shoot down. But Lee Adama knew his accomplishment had been akin to moving a mountain. And he couldn't be happier.

* * *

To be continued…


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe.

Thank you all for reading and reviewing. There is some bit of method to my madness here.  
Enjoy!

* * *

**Wing and a Prayer  
****Part 8**

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

Kara was glad to have stars under her feet again. She was less than thrilled to have General Mason strapped into the seat beside her, scrutinizing every move she made. But she gritted her teeth and flew textbook perfect maneuvers. Helo sat at the ECO consol and kept them both apprised of the new Raptor's performance, which was showing itself off beautifully so far.

"This FTL drive," Mason looked over his notes that were fastened to a clipboard on his lap. "A faster than light jump means you could take us from Earth to Mars in a matter of seconds?"

She resisted an urge to yawn. "An FTL jump to Mars would hardly be worth the time and fuel. Now, say if you wanted to get yourself to the edge of this solar system, that would be a much more worthy feat to demonstrate the capabilities of the FTL drive," Kara explained, as if she were speaking to a classroom full of nuggets.

"We are not jumping to the edge of this solar system," the general was quick to declare.

"Of course not," Kara heeded his warning. "Helo, let's show the general what this ship can do. Prepare for FTL jump," she instructed her ECO, trying to sound as chipper as possible.

"Coordinates?" Helo questioned.

A frustrated sigh escaped Kara's lips. She stared at the dradis and watched the small planet as it blipped in green on her screen. "Zero-two-niner, carom one-one-three," she replied. "Apparently, we're taking a little trip to Mars."

Helo smiled, thankful that he was safe from Kara or the general's view in his seat behind them. He could hear the annoyance quite clear in his friend's tone. He figured it was coming across to Lee and Sharon back on the planet as well. They were monitoring things on the ground, as the general had been sure not to allow all four of them on the test flight.

They all knew that they needed to play things as close to the book as possible. At 0600 the previous morning, true to Mason's word, the four 'aliens' had finally been revealed to the world. However, the press conference had not been what they were expecting. It was a small gathering, just a few reporters, General Mason, the president of the United States and the four of them. There were no foreign dignitaries and no crowd of civilians.

Kara and Lee had chalked it up to keeping security as tight as possible. But it still seemed like they were being kept under wraps. They couldn't even be sure if it was broadcast in any sort of worldwide distribution. They'd watched it on the television at their house later that night. But it had been buried between two other rather mundane stories. It all seemed rather surreal.

"Jump countdown set," Helo reported as he spun up the drive. "Commencing jump in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…" his voice trailed off as the familiar sensation squeezed in on him. It was almost a relaxing feeling compared to the tortuous ride they'd taken the last time.

The Raptor winked into existence exactly where Kara had instructed and the general marveled at his view of Mars' red desert landscape. "We just jumped from Earth to Mars?" he asked, looking to Kara for confirmation. "Just like that?" he'd read the reports Kara and Lee had spent hours writing. And he'd listened to their endless conversations on the subject, but none of that was a proper supplement for what he'd just experienced.

"Just like that," Kara grinned, thinking that maybe they had just made a small step toward gaining the man's respect. And a possible giant leap toward uniting the people of Earth.

"But will it get us back?" Mason's wide-eyed excitement was firmly tucked away. "Take us back to Earth," he sternly instructed.

Kara's momentary elation died a quick death. She followed his order like a good little soldier and the Raptor's second FTL went just as smoothly as the first. They touched the bird down on base again about two hours after they'd departed. Lee and Sharon were on the tarmac waiting for them. Helo exited first, followed by Mason and lastly, Kara. They all unzipped flight suits to escape the warmth that attacked them back on Earth's surface.

Mason turned and faced the four of them as a team of technicians prepared to roll the Raptor back to the flight hanger. He looked down at his chart and up again. "Everything seems to be functioning as you predicted. I'll be giving my report to the president as soon as I return to my office. Not bad," he walked away without another word.

"Did you hear that, Helo?" Kara forced a smile. "We got a 'not bad'," she quipped.

"At least it wasn't a 'not good'," Helo tried to make the most of it as he wrapped his arm around Sharon. The two of them noted the way Lee took Kara's hand, they'd seen it a few times the last couple of days. They weren't advertising their relationship, but they clearly weren't trying to hide it either.

"I guess I just figured a group of people whose biggest space flight achievement in 40 years was to land on their moon, would be a little bit more excited that they can now travel to Mars in the blink of an eye," Kara replied.

"They're not just testing our technology, they're testing us," Sharon spoke up.

"Testing us?" Lee stopped, causing them all to pause mid-step. He was curious about the Cylons statement. "How do you figure?"

Sharon looked over at Lee, bringing a hand up to shield her eyes from the assaulting sun. "I've been doing a lot of thinking on the events of the last few days and some things don't add up," she replied.

"Like what?" Helo asked. It was the first he had heard of it as well.

The woman didn't need much prodding. "First off, Apollo and Starbuck's trip to Russia," she paused. "I find it odd that they kept us locked up here for weeks and then suddenly you're allowed to travel half way around the world, by yourself?" there was wariness in her tone. "I'd be willing to bet that you weren't as alone as you thought on that trip."

Lee let the very real possibility of her theory sink in. "So, our trip was a test? What sort of test?" He looked for facts.

"I don't know exactly, all of this is still conjecture," Sharon shrugged. "But the end result was that you ended up telling Commander Laika everything about us," she pointed out, letting Lee deduct from that what he could.

It didn't take him long. "Meaning, we probably put him in a dangerous position because Mason was adamant about not revealing our secret to the world," Lee recalled. "If someone was watching us, we led them right to Laika. But that still doesn't mean much on its own."

"What about the press conference?" Kara wasn't sure what to believe any more as she tried to follow Sharon and Lee's train of thought. "They only agreed to that after I talked to that reporter at the gate. If they knew we'd spilled our story to Yuri then why was that the thing that got them all upset?"

"Another test," Sharon noted. "After Russia you tried to convince the general to tell the whole story, he declined, so you went to the reporter," she recapped. "Was she the only reporter out there?"

Kara pursed her lips. "Yes," she didn't like what she was hearing. Being made for a fool was what the Cylons had tried to do to her. They'd messed with her, played mind games, mixed truth with lies. The last thing she wanted to believe about the people of Earth was that they could be just as underhanded as the Cylons. "Come to think of it, there wasn't even a perimeter guard on duty as we chatted through the gate," Kara looked to the sky, sighing with disbelief. "I took their bait. How could I be so fraking stupid?"

"You're not the only one, Kara," Lee put a hand to her shoulder, hoping to calm the furry he saw building behind her eyes. "They played us all," he realized they'd been lulled into believing Earth trusted them. Because Earth had been a goal for them for so long, they only wanted to believe the best of it. "But I still don't exactly understand why?" Lee voiced.

Sharon once again seemed to have an idea. "If the roles were reversed, if a group of people from Earth suddenly found the fleet; what would Roslin do?" she posed the scenario to them.

"Shoot first and ask questions second," Kara spoke up again, some of her anger starting to ebb.

Sharon nodded. "Maybe," she knew better than any of them how quick the president was to rid herself of any problem. Though, Sharon also knew that Roslin's idea of shooting was more along the lines of opening up an airlock. "But there's something else she does when faced with the unknown."

"She demands proof," Lee supplied.

"Exactly," Sharon agreed.

Helo and Kara exchanged a look, both of them wondering why Lee and Sharon were suddenly so in sync in their thought processes. They were also a little curious as to why Sharon was using Roslin as an example. "So, you're saying the general and the president want proof, proof of what?" Helo asked.

"I think it might be as simple as proving that we really _are_n't from this planet and that this technology _really_ comes from a source that's not from an enemy of theirs," Sharon concluded.

"Simple?" Lee mused. "But I thought they already believed we were aliens, or… you know what I mean," even he was starting to get confused by the conversation. "Sharon's blood test came back with the unexplained anomaly and Kara told Mason about the Cylons during that first meeting in Florida. He seemed to believe her."

Kara's eyes widened. "Actually, he mentioned something about 'little green men' theories during that first conversation. Mason wasn't sure what to believe," a light bulb in her head finally went off. "What if when we went to Russia they were hoping to find out that we were working with the Russians? What if they think all of this has been some sort of hoax that we set up in cahoots with the Russian government?" she paused. "And who did I initially choose to claim we were affiliated with when we first arrived here?"

"Russia," Helo shook his head. "Unbelievable. It's starting to make some sense. Commander Laika is made to look innocent by discovering no record of us as Russian affiliates. That clears him and puts us in NASA's hands, a great position to gain Intel into the United States."

Lee sighed. "I think the sun may be causing us all to jump to conclusions here," he tried to be a voice of reason. "Laika claimed that he didn't see the US or Russia ever being at war again. So we still don't know if any of this is true," he reminded them.

Kara frowned. "What other explanation is there?"

"All I'm saying is that I think we need to stop theorizing and find some answers, solid facts," Lee adopted a Roslin stance on the matter.

Sharon was the first to offer her opinion on how to proceed. "Mason is the only one approachable on our level," she spoke up. "He was our first real contact on this planet. He's been hard on us, but I think if anyone knows what's going on, he's our best bet."

"I volunteer Starbuck for that mission," Helo quickly added.

"Thanks for that," Kara groaned in annoyance.

"I think Helo's right," Lee agreed.

Her annoyance was soon aimed directly at Lee, hands on hips. "Why me?" Kara asked.

"I'll go with you," Lee added. "But you've had the most impact on him since we arrived. Even if he has been testing us, I know he was moved by your words the other day. He tried to hide it, but I could see he was starting to waver. Besides that, you have the loudest voice," he shrugged and smiled at her.

"Wow, Lee. You sure know how to sweet talk a girl," Kara shook her head at him, still glaring. But she'd already resigned herself to the task, with or without him. "Well, if we're going to do this, lets do it now before I think about it too much," she gave Lee a shove forward and they left Helo and Sharon behind.

xxx

"I had a feeling I'd be seeing you again today," Mason closed his office door. He moved to the window that looked out into the main lobby of headquarters. "I admit I've suspected a lot of things about you since you arrived, but stupidity was never one of them." He drew the shade closed. "I check regularly for listening devices. You can never be too careful," he motioned for them to sit.

Kara and Lee exchanged a look. They had more than enough reason to be skeptical of the man but decided to stay. "Did you spy on us while we were in Russia?" Kara asked outright.

"You're defiant, Captain, but I do admire your directness," Mason noted as he sat down. He folded his hands over some papers. "I am a General in the United States military. It's taken me years to get to this position and I will defend this country with my dying breath. That being said, I don't always agree with everything that goes on around here," he revealed.

"We'll take that as a yes," Lee knew they weren't likely to get direct answers.

Mason fought an internal battle over what to tell them. He started with the easiest truth. "I believe you," he let them know. "I believe everything that you've told us so far, but I can tell you right now that the president does not. He thinks you're working with the Russians, to what end, he still can't say. However, Commander Yuri Laika happens to be a very good friend of mine and I don't suspect him of being a terrorist."

Kara digested the word _terrorist_ for a moment and then moved on. "Was our press conference broadcast around the world?" she asked.

"No," Mason shook his head regretfully. "Those reporters were soldiers under sworn secrecy. One video was made, which we then spliced directly into your cable broadcast feed. Needless to say, most of this world is still in the dark about you and the president has no intention of changing that any time soon."

"I don't understand," Lee made the fact known.

"Earth calendar date September 11, 2001," the general replied. "It changed a lot of things. It's made the US government skittish. Now, I don't think it's wrong to be overly cautious in some matters but your presence here has changed everything again. I believe we need to heed your warnings about these Cylons and I think you're right in telling the world. I believe we need new foreign policy to deal with all of this. Unfortunately, the president does not agree with me as of yet."

"So, what do we do?" Kara looked to him for an answer.

Mason handed her a copy of the report on his desk. "The president has green lighted your Viper project. He's interested in the technology you have to offer. He fears it might be coming from an enemy country but he figures he'll get something out of it until you turn on us," the general explained.

Kara scoffed. "What if we refuse to keep working?"

"Then you end up in a jail cell," Mason replied honestly. "There's nothing I can do about that," he sighed. "On a personal note, I can't deny what I experienced today. No other person on Earth has seen Mars from where I sat this afternoon. So, I'll continue to plea your case to the president. But until the president is on your side, my best suggestion to you is to stay out of trouble and wait this all out."

"Until when?" Lee asked. "Until the Cylons finally show and blow us all up? Maybe then Earth will believe our story was true?"

The general sighed again, hating the burden of command some days. "I don't know what else to tell you except that I believe you, for whatever that's worth."

Kara looked the man in the eye and found truth there. It was a start. "It's worth something to me," she answered, knowing that the matter wasn't worth arguing any further at the moment.

xxx

Galactica was quiet, too quiet for Adama's taste. He went over the reports in front of him. They'd been running Viper test maneuvers with Kat in charge of both Galactica and Pegasus air groups. Galactica was a little lax due to fewer drills and less combat action. Pegasus was just plain sloppy. They were all power and no strategy.

Supposedly they were out of danger from Cylon detection. But the old man was not convinced, which was why they remained in orbit and why he was keeping the air group in training. At least that was his cover story. He'd also been sending out Raptor scouts for weeks. They'd nearly jumped all the way back to Caprica, but still there was no sign of Lee.

The wireless on his wall chimed and he picked it up. "Actual," his voice sounded over the line.

_"Actual, the president… uh, the former president Laura Roslin in on the line for you,"_ Dualla informed him.

"Tell her I'm busy," he replied.

_"Sir, I tell her that every time she calls,"_ the woman bravely relayed.

Adama bit back a sharp retort. "Tell her again," was all he said before hanging up. "Maybe one of these times she'll actually listen," he muttered to the walls of his quarters. A knock at his hatch caught his attention and Tigh didn't wait for a reply as he stepped inside.

"What are you doing here?" Adama's tone came out as a low growl.

Tigh rolled with it. "Just stopped by to see if you were still in a good mood," he quipped. Then seriously, "Ellen and I are on our way down to the surface, thought I might see if you'd like to join us. Several people down there have been asking about you," he noted.

"I do not want to see Roslin, so just drop it!" the old man exploded.

Colonel Tigh held his hands up in a defensive manner. "I didn't say anything about Roslin," he grinned, taking Adama's anger in stride.

The admiral swiftly dropped the matter all together. "How are things on Pegasus?" he asked.

"Same as the last report I sent over," Saul answered. "The officers are insubordinate; ungrateful… it's like a ship full of Starbucks over there. Not sure why you put me in charge."

"You weren't my first choice. No offense."

"None taken," Tigh shook his head. "Never thought I'd be an XO, let alone a commander of a battlestar. I'll be plenty happy when Lee gets back and can take over. I assume _he_ was your first choice?"

Adama was silent for a moment as he looked up at his friend. "You believe he's still alive?"

"No, not really," Tigh admitted. "But I know that you do, and I know that the hope of something is sometimes more important than the fact of it. For your sake, I hope he's still alive."

The old man was once again reminded why Saul Tigh had become such a good friend over the years. "Thank you, Saul. You shouldn't keep Ellen waiting," he dismissed the man. Saul didn't push and left the old man to it.

Adama set aside the reports and pulled out his star charts. They were marked with notes and points of interest as to where the Raptor's had already searched. "If they didn't make it back to Caprica, maybe we're looking in the wrong direction," the old man mused as he settled in for another long night of answer seeking.

xxx

"So, we trust Mason?" Lee asked as he and Kara sprawled out on the cool grass in their back yard. The sun had already set but it was still plenty warm outside to be lounging in shorts and tanks. Helo and Sharon had opted for cold drinks at one of the local bars. Kara had actually declined the offer to join them, asking instead if Lee would stay home with her. He was surprised but happily agreed.

"I think so, for now anyway," Kara gazed up at the night sky. "You know I almost long for a good Cylon battle. Shoot 'em and that's that. I don't know why I thought Earth would be so compliant."

Lee looked over at her. "Are you sorry we ever found Earth?"

"Not at all," she instantly replied. "Earth is flawed, just the same as us. But we need to find a way to make them believe us."

His head was way past hers in that regard, but he couldn't figure out a good way to tell her what he was planning. "Kara, can we please have a few hours tonight that don't revolve around conspiracies and Earth hating us?"

"Gladly," she snuggled in closer, head against his chest. "So, why don't you tell me what you, Sharon and Karl were talking about the day we got back," Kara prodded him, recalling the way they'd all gone silent the second she'd shown up.

He knew exactly what she was referring to. "Kara, I've been meaning to bring it up but with everything else the last two days, I…"

"What?" she cocked her head to look up at him. "It can't be as bad as the US believing our presence here is some Russian plot to undermine them," a chuckle escaped her lips.

Lee wasn't so sure about that but he decided to tell her anyway. He did his best to explain everything that he remembered Sharon telling them about Earth's major religions, how most of them believed in the higher power of a singular God. When he was finished, he turned on his side to face her. He tried to gauge what her reaction would be.

Kara felt his weight shift. She knew he was starting at her, worried, waiting for her to react. But she had no idea what to say. Instead she stared at the stars. They twinkled just the same as the ones she'd grown up looking at. The patterns were different but they still held the same kind of magic over her. As a child, whenever she'd felt frightened or uncertain, all she had to do was lay out under the stars and everything seemed better.

"Why do you want to marry me, Lee?" she asked.

It wasn't the reaction he'd been expecting but he decided not to fight it. "Because I love you," he answered without doubt.

"You love me?"

"Kara, I thought we'd gotten past all this?"

"We did, I was just curious…" she mused, bringing her thoughts back to religious beliefs. "How do you know you love me? You don't put much faith in the Gods. I know you like hard facts and things that you can touch and see with your eyes. So, how do you know you love me if love is a belief?"

He looked down at her again, smiling. "Nice try," Lee leaned in and kissed her. "I can feel your skin against mine," his hand smoothed over her cheek and down her neck. "The softness of your body," his fingers brushed along her bare shoulder and down her arm. He fingered the edge of her tank and lifted it just a little, running his palm over her abdomen. "And the roughness of your scars," he whispered against her ear. "You are real, Kara. I believe in love because you exist."

"Yes," the one word was all she managed to whisper in response.

"Yes?"

Her eyes closed. "I don't know why the majority of this planet believes in religion differently than ours. I don't know why this government is so afraid to accept the truth about us," Kara reopened her eyes and looked to Lee. "But I still have faith in the Gods and their plan for us. I have faith that this place will be our home. Earth has brought me closer to you than I could have hoped and I don't want to lose you," she confessed. "So, the answer to your proposal is yes."

Lee was rendered speechless. He opted for kissing her instead. When he pulled away he could see the mixture of fear and excitement in her eyes. He knew what a huge decision it was that she'd just made and his heart both soared and ached. Lee's momentary happiness faded as he realized he needed to tell her something right then and there. "I have to go back and find Galactica."

"What?" Kara furrowed her brow.

"I've been thinking about it for a while, ever since the night you were so upset about not getting the fleet here as well," he dove in, not able to turn back. "And when Sharon started talking about Earth testing us and not believing our story, needing proof… I realized that Galactica, Pegasus and the rest of the fleet are exactly the proof that we need."

Kara sat up. "You're right," she agreed. "But don't you think this is kind of a bad time for us to be abandoning our work here?" she asked. "I mean, if we all just up and leave now, what little credibility we _do_ have will vanish."

He nodded. "Which is why I said, _I_ have to go back," Lee sat up beside her. "And you need to stay," he added.

"No!" Kara spun her gaze upon him. "No way," she shook her head with force.

"Kara," he reached out to touch her arm but she pulled away. Lee sighed. "It's the only way to keep a diplomatic foot on Earth and still find the proof that they need," he tried to reason with her.

"We'll find another way," she maintained. "We'll convince Earth our story is true, build a fleet of Vipers, train the people here to fly them and _then_ go and find Galactica."

"We might not have that kind of time," Lee countered. "We need to think logically here. We can't let our hearts get in the way of what needs to be done."

"Are you kidding me?!" Kara jumped up. "Are you fraking kidding me? What was this, Lee, some sort of way to placate me? Get me to agree to be your wife and think I'll just roll over and obey your every order?" Kara couldn't believe that she'd just dropped her guard to finally let him in fully, only to be symbolically slapped in the face. She'd almost prefer a literal slap, thinking it would hurt less.

Lee stood. He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Kara, if I thought that then I'd be the insane one," he cracked a smile, but she clearly wasn't amused. "You know it's not like that, Kara. I love you. I asked you to be my wife because I want to spend the rest of my life with you, through good and bad," he vowed. "I'm not going away forever, I'll be back," Lee promised.

His words echoed in her head and she tried to stay strong. "I've heard those words before, Lee. I made that promise once and I never got a chance to keep it."

"This will be different," Lee spoke with confidence. "With Sharon's help, the jumps should be easy to retrace and it's only been a few months, Galactica can't be that far away from our last position." He drew her in closer, his forehead touching hers. Lee knew she was starting to come around. "And if you think I'm going to get lost or die out there before I have a chance to marry you, then you are very wrong."

"I have been wrong before," she softened just a little. Her eyes grew deadly serious though. "I know one thing for certain, if you don't come back I will hunt you down Lee Adama," her voice was less than menacing as it crackled with emotion.

"I'll count on it," he kissed her.

Kara was quiet for a while, allowing the idea to sink in further. "If you're taking Sharon, what happens to Helo?"

"He stays here with you," Lee answered. "He knows Raptors, you know Vipers. You'll need to teach both and build this army of yours," he noted.

"They're not going to like that," Kara stated the obvious.

"About as much as you did, I imagine," Lee agreed.

She nodded, asking a harder question. "When do you leave?"

"Soon, within a few days hopefully," Lee revealed. "As soon as we can come up with a plan to sneak our Raptor out of the flight hanger without Mason or anyone else knowing," he concluded.

Kara grinned. "So, we have plenty time then," she was only half joking, but it sounded like it was going to be one heck of an interesting maneuver on all of their parts. "Come on," she grabbed his right hand and tugged. "There's something we need to do."

"I thought we were going to enjoy a nice evening home, alone," he arched a suggestive eyebrow.

"We will, later," she smiled promisingly. "But you sort of ruined my original plans, so it's time to get even," Kara smiled mischievously as they set off.

Lee followed warily.

* * *

_To be continued…_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe.

* * *

**Wing and a Prayer  
****Part 9**

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

Adama stood with his fingers drumming anxiously against the command table, head turned slightly toward the nearest overhead speaker. Thirty seconds ago they'd received a garbled transmission from Racetrack. She'd been conducting a daily scout of their last position, the one just before jumping to orbit the planet of New Caprica. The message had been short and frantic, revealing nothing of her situation.

"Can you get her back?" the admiral asked as more seconds ticked by.

"Trying sir," Dualla relayed. She changed channels, hoping to get a better line to the Raptor. A soft buzz slowly grew in her ear piece. "I think I might have her," Dee called out. "Racetrack, Galactica, do you read? Come in Racetrack," her voice was always controlled under any circumstance. It was a trait perfectly suited to a communications officer, when so many lives hung on the importance of the messages she relayed.

_"Galactica, Racetrack… we hit…" _a static-filled pause followed._ "I think… found… I repeat… the lead Raptor…"_

The old man glared at Dee from across the room, silently willing her to clean up the transmission. "Not good enough," Adama growled as he started over; thinking that his presence near the communications station might somehow help speed the process.

_"Raptor __3-2-0__ from our Caprica mission is right in front of me, we hit them,"_ the female pilot's voice crackled over the wireless, much clearer than before. On the other side of the line, she stared at the wreckage in front of her. Her ship had been damaged pretty heavily but not nearly as bad as the other. Racetrack tended to her unconscious ECO as she waited for Galactica's reply.

"We read you Racetrack," Dualla answered. "What is your status?"

_"Not good, Wolman is out cold," her words came uninterrupted. "I think the other Raptor was just coming out of a jump at the same time as us. I hit them head on, looks like their cabin has been breached. I can see suites in there but I can't get anyone to respond."_

"Copy that Racetrack," Dee replied. "Are you sure it's them?" she asked as the Admiral continued to stand beside her.

The Raptor pilot ran the numbers through to Galactica. _"See for yourself."_ Both birds continued to drift aimlessly in the abyss of space when Racetrack heard her wireless spark to life again. She thought for sure it was Galactica confirming the other ship's identity. Instead a distantly familiar voice greeted her.

_"This is Raptor __3-2-0__ requesting immediate extraction. I have an injured man aboard, please respond._"

The Admiral himself replied to the message, eyebrows furrowed. "Who am I speaking to?" he demanded. The female voice was strained and distant over the wireless. He couldn't quite place it but it didn't sound like Starbuck.

_"This is Sharon Valerii,"_ she replied. _"Admiral, Apollo needs medical assistance. His helmet was fractured on impact and we're venting into space. He's bleeding and we're running out of air."_

The old man's heart clenched. Sharon Valerii. The cylon was with his son, if she was indeed telling the truth. He'd come to realize that was rarely the case with any of the Cylons he'd dealt with. And he had unresolved issues with this particular one. Adama could hear chattering all around him in CIC, voices of doubt. Officers whispering that it must be some sort of trick. The same doubts plagued him.

"Give me one good reason why I should trust anything you've just said," he ordered.

_"If you don't trust me, your son will die."_ It was the only reply she gave.

Adama's jaw clinched as he motioned for Dee to cut the transmission. If there was the slightest possibility that Lee was on that ship, he had to take the risk. He directed his orders. "Get a recovery team out there, and a troop of armed marines. I want that ship secured and back on Galactica as soon as possible. Be sure that Cottle is there to greet the Raptor when they bring it in," he took a breath. "And tell the marines I want that cylon back in her cell where she belongs."

He stood back and waited as his orders were carried out. He'd been waiting for months, hoping to find his son alive. Adama had come so close to giving up on the hope of Lee coming back alive, and now the boy was nearly home again. But the last few minutes of waiting and worrying were by far the hardest.

xxx

_Seven days prior…_

"This is silly, I've seen the backyard before," Kara complained.

Lee placed his hands over her eyes from behind, paying little attention to her protest. "I don't care, no peeking," he instructed. The partially opened door was pushed wider by his hip as he carefully guided her out onto the porch and further down the steps into the yard. Dry grass crunched beneath their bare feet. The smell of hot dust filled their nostrils.

With the weather so warm, most of their off time was spent inside the air-conditioned house or outside under the shade of one large tree that somehow managed to stay alive in the torturous heat. The four of them had set up a table and chairs out there. Kara had even drawn and cut out a makeshift deck of Triad cards. Mostly they made due with soft drinks for refreshment and bet with what little Earth money they were allotted for food.

This evening, Lee had asked Helo to cover for them as he managed to drag Kara away early from her infant Viper project. Lee had been planning the special night for several days, knowing that his and Sharon's time on Earth was quickly drawing to an end. They'd been keeping tabs on guard rotation at the flight hanger for five nights in a row and finally felt they had enough information to put their plan into action.

He positioned Kara and removed his hands, waiting as she opened her eyes and focused in the sunlight. Instead of the table and chairs that usually occupied the area, Kara looked down to find a small plastic wadding pool at her feet. "I wish I could take you to see a real ocean again before I leave but, I made one for you instead," Lee explained. She was silent. "I think it's a little better than your puddle-ocean at the park," he was worried that she didn't like it.

A slow smile crept over her cheeks and lit her eyes. She turned and kissed him without a word. Pulling away, further inspection revealed beach towels and a picnic basket to complete the scene. Her smile paled a little as she realized that the end result of Lee's special evening would be his departure. But Kara tried to remain upbeat nonetheless. "So, what is the cause for all of this?" she played along.

Lee could tell she was diverting her attention. He sat upon one of the beach towels and took Kara's hand, pulling her down along with him. She sat between his legs with her back to his chest as he reclined against the tree trunk. "Take your pick," he whispered in her ear. "We could celebrate the one week anniversary of the day you agreed to marry me or the one week anniversary of the day you marked me as your territory."

Kara looked over at the tattoo that graced his left bicep, made more visible by his Colonial regulation tees. The design revealed itself in striking intricacy, black ink contrasting against his creamy skin. It was a simple, delicately layered rope that snaked around his arm in a unique fashion. A nearly identical one graced her right arm. The two designs formed an image of a perfectly tied knot when their arms joined in an embrace.

"Marking my territory… is that what you think?" she asked innocently as she stretched her legs and dunked her feet into the cool water of the pool.

He intimately rubbed his index finger over the design on her arm. "I know what a Caprican binding knot looks like," Lee informed her. "I did pay attention in history class, though I've never seen one in tattoo form before," he smiled. "That's a Kara Thrace original."

She looked proud of the fact. "So, do you know what it means?" Kara ventured.

Lee nodded his head, knowing it had something to do with ancient wedding rituals; the symbol of a union so tight it would take the strength of Gods to be undone. "But I am curious about the text," he pointed to some markings that had been imprinted inside the rope design. "I didn't even notice it was there until yesterday. It's from the old Caprican dialect, right?"

Kara leaned back further, resting her head on his shoulder. "Yes. A very long time ago, before toasters and modern Caprican civilization, the colony was covered mostly by water," Kara relayed. "Fishing was the mainstay of the planet, so the men would sail the oceans for months at a time. The women stayed at home, keeping things running smoothly as they waited for their lovers to return."

"It all sounds very archaic," Lee knew that it had taken a long time for women to reach equality in Colonial society. But it had happened centuries before he or Kara had been born. "I'm surprised you would even know such a story."

"I read a lot as a child," Kara shrugged, recalling long days of hiding out from her mother in any library or bookstore she could find. Until she'd discovered Pyramid, boys and ambrosia, stories had been her escape from reality. "According to tradition, the women would say a prayer every night that their loved one was gone. A lot of the translation has been lost over the years but the basis of it was: _far from home, near in heart._" She looked up at him with cautious eyes.

He sighed, his head pouring over the journey they'd taken so far, and the one that lay ahead. "That's quite a sentiment," Lee leaned in and kissed her. The hint of a tear pricked at the corner of her right eye, and Lee knew that leaving her behind would be one of the hardest things he'd ever do.

Kara turned her head and pretended to scratch her eye, actually wiping it dry. "Yeah, well don't think I'll be sitting here on Earth pining for you, Apollo…"

"I wouldn't dream of it," he played along with the brave facade that she put up.

"Because I'll be pretty busy with the Viper project and then teaching, not to mention the continual task of keeping the president from thinking we're spies," she continued to gloss over the emotional weight of their situation. As the excuses left her, Kara glanced over at the basket and further immersed herself in denial. "Anything good in there?"

The basket was brought closer and Lee fished out a sandwich wrapped in plastic. He handed it to her and watched as she opened the treat. Kara's eyes grew wide as she held the item up to her nose and inhaled deeply. The aroma of peanut butter caused her memories to slip easily into childhood and another tear formed.

"I'm sorry, maybe this was a stupid idea," Lee suddenly felt like he'd pushed too far. "I didn't mean to upset you or ruin the memories of your father in any…"

"No, Lee," she stopped him, unwrapping the sandwich all the way. "It's not stupid at all. I'm just surprised that you remember the story I told you about my father and the beach," she took a small bit of the sandwich and savored the taste.

"I didn't mean to upset you," he repeated.

"You didn't, it's just… when I said my dad would take me to the beach, well, it really only happened once," she admitted. "I blamed my mom for a lot of the bad stuff, but that's mostly because she was the only one around. Dad was an artist, a composer. He was home some days, gone others, sometimes months at a time without much more than a phone call."

"I know what that's like," Lee commiserated as he chewed his own sandwich.

Kara stopped eating for a moment. She didn't know why Earth kept spewing up thoughts of her parents and childhood, things best left to rest in the past. "Mom was military, she was order and discipline," the words came sharp and bitter from her tongue. "Dad was an artist, he was seat-of-the-pants chaos," those flowed with a hint of disappointment. "And I became the perfect fraked up combo of the two of them," she concluded.

Lee forgot his food as well. "Kara, you are more than the sum of your parents. Much more," he insisted. "We both are."

She wasn't convinced of the fact but was grateful of him for trying. "Why does is always seem to come back to the parent issues with us?" Kara tried to make a joke of it, though she knew it was true.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Maybe we've focused more on it here because suddenly they're not with us," Lee observed. "We're here making all the hard decisions without Roslin or the old man to back us up. This is our show right now and it's hard to suddenly be in charge. In some ways it's what we've always wanted, yet it also scares the crap out of us."

"So, what are you trying to say?" Kara quirked an eyebrow at him. "That we're growing up?"

Lee chuckled. "Yeah, I guess."

"That's a scary thought," Kara pondered it for a while as they both finished their picnic meal; sandwiches followed by fruit and cool water to drink. Lee had one last surprise for her when they were done eating. He pulled out a large pad of drawing paper that was bound in a spiral along one edge. A set of crayons was also produced.

Kara laughed but was touched that he'd gone to such trouble to make the day a happy one for her. Parents, childhood and impending departures were set aside momentarily for a creative foray. They sat for a long time drawing pictures of fish, sailboats and every other thing they could think to find on a beach or in the ocean. Kara's scene was elaborate and colorful. Lee's page was full of sad looking fish all in shades of blue.

"Lee, I love you," she began, glancing at his artistic endeavors. "But I'm sorry to have to tell you, that is the ugliest fish I've ever seen," Kara couldn't help laughing at the spiky ball in the center of his drawing.

"Actually, that was meant to be the sun," Lee noted, feigning being hurt by her insensitive critique. "I guess you'll have to be the one to teach our kids to draw." His words caused Kara to freeze. The red crayon in her hand cracked under the pressure of tightly gripped fingers. He instantly noticed the look of fear on her face. "I don't know why I just said that."

"I don't want kids," the words rolled off her tongue. She suddenly wondered what the frak she'd been thinking letting Lee Adama wiggle his way into her heart. Hope and bright shinny futures were sappy promises made by unintended presidents trying to lead a group of people through hell and back. They weren't something Kara Thrace could let herself believe in.

"Neither do I," Lee quickly agreed.

That shocked her even more. "Then why did you just…"

He shook his head. "I don't know, I guess it was the moment. We'd been talking about parents and everything just sort of…" Lee couldn't finish his thoughts with any cohesion. For the first time in his life he actually wanted to tell someone, to tell Kara, about the woman and the child he had walked away from. But that sin was still too much for his conscious to handle. When it came to covering up emotions, Kara was in good company as Lee pushed past the awkward moment. "When I get back to Earth, and when this is all over, how would you like to find a place by the ocean?"

"A real ocean?" Despite all her thoughts on the uselessness of hope, Kara allowed herself to be taken over by diversionary tactics.

"Yes, a real one," he nodded. "Just you, me and the waves," that drew out a hint of a smile from her lips, for which he was grateful. Their drawings were forgotten as he pulled her close. They leaned against the tree again, wrapped in each other as the sun slowly began to drop in the sky. "I don't need anything more than that Kara, just you," he whispered.

Helo and Sharon found them in the same position a few hours later. The sun was gone completely, replaced by a familiar darkness sprinkled with stars. The warm desert air sang against the tree branches as they gathered the remains of their picnic and returned to the house. Lee and Sharon packed a few things, neither one of them having much to take. The important stuff such as food and extra fuel had already been stashed near the hanger, ready for their quick departure.

The four of them walked silently to the hanger, picking up their stowed gear along the way and being careful to avoid guards. They'd been watching the building and surrounding grounds for a week, noting the guard's habits and shift schedules. Only one soldier stood patrol at the main entry and two at the rear. When questioned once about such little security over a large project, the General had mentioned hiding in plain sight being the best tactic. Sometimes the most guarded secrets drew the biggest curiosity. The planned to use that to their advantage.

The front guard changed from second to third shift at 2230 hours and there was a ten minute lag time between. That's when Lee and Sharon were to approach the building and slip in. It was up to Kara and Helo to distract the two guards at the rear flight door, allowing enough time for the others to get the Raptor out unnoticed. It wouldn't be an easy task on any of their parts.

Things went like clockwork until it came time to rid themselves of the rear guards. Helo and Kara's initial distraction only got one of them to go off in search of the odd sounds. The second guard remained firmly in place. There would be no way to warn Lee and Sharon, so Kara did some fast improvising. She grabbed Helo by his belt loops and hung on to him, pretending to be drunk as they sauntered over toward the guard.

"Time to take one for the team," she whispered just before planting a big showy kiss on Helo's lips. She kept up the act, stumbling into the guard and apologizing profusely. Helo did his best to play along, rambling on haphazardly in his own faux-drunk stupor. The guard was annoyed but not so easily unfocused.

Kara furthered the charade by coming on to the man and Helo used the distraction to punch him out. They hadn't meant to get violent, knowing there would be trouble for them later. But they at least figured they'd be safe long enough for Lee and Sharon to get the Raptor out. That's when the other two guards showed up, shouting and waving their weapons. Helo looked to Kara and in a silent moment they both agreed that running was their next best course of action.

Lee and Sharon were none the wiser to all the troubles plaguing Helo and Starbuck. They hooked the ship to the trailer, pulled out with no guards in sight and managed to drive to the farthest stretch of tarmac with relative ease. Then they waited. And waited some more. "Something's wrong," Lee finally concluded, ready to chuck the entire plan in favor of finding Kara. Thankfully he didn't have to look far as he spotted her and Helo making a mad dash toward them. "What happened?" he asked.

"Kara kissed me," Helo was nearly out of breath.

"What?" Lee narrowed his eyes.

"Please, it was like kissing my sister," the ECO chuckled.

"Thanks, Karl," Kara slapped her friend against the arm, thankful that they had gotten away in time to see Lee off.

"I'm just saying…"

"We don't have time for this," Sharon put a stop to the pointless banter and pulled Karl aside. They didn't say much, just held on tight one last time before their lives diverted yet again.

Doubts began to cloud Lee's thoughts as he watched Kara fidget. "Maybe we shouldn't… maybe this was all a really bad idea," he started.

"It's a little too late for second thoughts," Kara did her best to remain strong. "If all four of us get caught now, we won't stand any chance at all of being taken seriously," she tried to be the voice of reason. "You have a job to do now, Apollo. And so do I."

"I could be gone for weeks or…"

"Months," Kara finished.

He nodded. "It depends on what sort of situation we find the fleet in. Of course, if we don't find them at all within a week our fuel and rations will be out and…"

"Is that really the way you want to end this conversation?" she bit her bottom lip.

Lee sighed. "I'm sorry, but you need to know."

"Trust me, Lee. I know," her voice was hard, guarded against the reality. It softened. "I have faith in you. I have faith in Sharon. And I have faith in the two of you working together."

He shook his head. "There's something I never thought I'd hear. But I wouldn't start waving that friendship banner just yet. If the two of us actually make it back without killing one another, that will be a miracle," Lee managed to smile but it lacked confidence.

Kara looked up at the sky then over at Helo and Sharon huddled together. "I hate long good-byes."

"I just hate good-bye," Lee countered. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his grandfather's lighter. His thumb ran over the etched letters again, like he had a dozen times before in the past few months. Finally he held the object out toward Kara. "Here, I want you to hold on to this for me."

"Lee, no," she shook her head. "You're meant to give it back to the old man when you see him," Kara reminded him, knowing what it meant to them.

"So you'll give it to him, when you see him _and_ me again," Lee insisted, placing it in the palm of her left hand and curling her fingers around it. He brought the hand to his lips and kissed her soft skin.

"We should go," Sharon appeared at their side, the picture of composure and ready for business. It was Helo who looked like a lost little boy, standing beside her.

Kara clasped the cool metal of the lighter as Lee's touch slipped away. The warm summer breeze blew across the air strip. No other words were exchanged between the four of them. Sharon started up the Raptor and Lee followed her inside, disappearing from view as the door closed behind them. The craft shook and wobbled as main thrust took hold. Then it was up and out of range in a matter of seconds.

Starbuck and Helo remained there for a long time afterward, silently staring at the dark sky. They braced themselves for the consequences of their actions as flashing lights appeared on the horizon. Sirens grew louder and soon the glow of headlights from a dozen vehicles blinded them. The general himself stood before them, anger shinning in his eyes.

xxx

"Where are Starbuck and Helo?" Adama's voice demanded.

Sharon could still see them standing on the tarmac. The Raptor's lights had illuminated them as she and Lee flew over head and took one last look. Now she was back in the same prison cell aboard Galactica that she'd left a few months previous. Adama was questioning her, seeking answers. It all seemed so familiar. It was hard to believe where she'd been the last three months. "On Earth," the cylon replied.

His nostrils flared. "I'm going to ask you again, where are Lieutenant Agathon and Captain Thrace?"

"Earth," she maintained. "Lee and I left them behind on Earth," Sharon stood her ground.

He paced the small enclosure for a few minutes, trying to reevaluate the situation. "I don't know what you're trying to prove here but you will not mess with my head," Adama turned toward her again. "I'll find out what happened, one way or another."

"I am telling you the truth," Sharon's voice didn't wavier. She was the epitome of calm.

"Truth?" the old man scoffed at her choice of words. "You don't even know the concept of…"

The door to Sharon's cell rolled open with a metallic screech and a young marine stepped inside the yawning partition. "Admiral," he interrupted.

"I left instructions not to be disturbed," Adama spun around.

The marine looked a little frightened. "I'm sorry, sir, but its Doc Cottle," he spoke quickly. "He wanted you to know that Apollo is awake, he thought you'd want to know right away, sir."

"I need to see him," Sharon jumped up but Adama stepped in front of her before she could get any closer to the open door. "Admiral, I need to talk to him," she persisted.

Adama narrowed his eyes at her. "Why, so you can brainwash him? So you can feed him the lies you want us to believe? So you can convince him to tell us that you really went to Earth, thinking we'll follow you into a Cylon ambush?" he accused.

"I wouldn't do that," throughout it all she remained collected, doing her best not to cause any more trouble for herself than she was already in.

"How do I know that?" he shook his head at her. "I don't trust you."

"Lee trusts me," she shot back, confident in the words. Lee wasn't her biggest cheerleader and probably never would be but they'd learned to work together and had managed to accomplish the feat of finding the fleet again. "Kara trusts me," she continued. "I know the way to Earth, so does Lee. We have the jump codes, search the Raptor," she paused, remembering something that she knew would be another mark against her. "Actually, you'll need me or Lee to show you. We encrypted the codes so the Cylons couldn't track us if we happened to run into them out there."

"Enough!" Adama shouted, hearing only more lies. "I'm not doing this any more right now. I'm going to see my son," he dismissed her, moving toward the door.

"You have to believe me, Earth needs the fleet," her last ditch effort came out more forceful that before. "Ask Lee. They need to see that our presence there is not some joke or a hoax or… you have to believe us!" she shouted.

Her words echoed in Adama's head as he walked down the long corridors. They stayed with him until he entered the med center. Then all thoughts other than Lee ceased to exist for a while. He moved straight to the boy's bed, not caring to hear from Cottle how the young man was. All he wanted was to see his son. Lee's open eyes were a welcome sight indeed, though he looked tired. "How do you feel?" Adama knew it was a stupid question but asked anyway, not knowing where else to start.

"Not great," Lee's voice was scratchy as he tried to sit up a little in his bed. His head throbbed, halting the efforts.

"I'm not surprised," the old man helped him get to a more comfortable position, being sure to mind his injury. "Cottle spent three hours pulling glass and metal fragments out of your skull." Adama sighed, pulling a chair over and sitting down. "He said you're lucky to be alive."

"Adama's have hard heads," Lee tried to smile but it hurt too much.

The old man chuckled for him, but the lighthearted moment slipped by quickly. Adama knew his son was weak and would need to rest soon, but he still had some questions that needed proper answers. "I was just talking to the Sharon cylon in our brig," he broached the subject without preamble. "She keeps maintaining that you've been to Earth," he noted, looking to Lee for any insight into that idea's possibility.

"Earth?" Lee questioned. His head was still pounding but he tried to stay alert for his father's sake. Lee could see that something was bothering the old man. "Why would she think that? We were on our way to Caprica, to rescue the survivors," he recalled, trying his best to get a handle on the scattered thoughts tumbling around in his foggy mind.

Adama was alarmed. "Lee, that mission was months ago. You disappeared over three months ago," he pointed out. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Kara," Lee whispered her name. She was the only thing he could see clearly in his mind's eye, seated beside him in the Raptor's pilot position. "I remember we were making the last jump to Caprica and something went wrong. The cylon was screaming and the jump seemed to stretch on forever. Then I woke up here." He looked to his father, confusion still creased his forehead. "Dad, where is Kara?" Lee asked wearily.

The old man sighed regretfully as he watched his son's eyes grow heavy and eventually close. "I don't know, son," he replied in a soft whisper. "I don't know."

xxx

_Six days prior…_

The steel-bar door slid shut, effectively locking Kara inside the holding cell. Helo stood on the other side with General Mason. The lieutenant had tried to take the fall with Kara but she'd protested and cut a deal with the general to keep Helo out of trouble. Helo did his best to comply with her order. They both knew that they needed someone to keep the Viper project rolling.

"I warned you," Mason shook his head like that of a disappointed father. She seemed to incur that a lot from superior officers. "All you needed to do was stay out of trouble," he reminded her of his previous words.

Kara chuckled. "You obviously don't know me very well," she replied. On a more serious note, "We need to prove ourselves, you said so yourself. So Lee and Sharon have gone back to retrieve all the proof you'll need, a whole fraking fleet full. It was a double edged sword that we were faced with, but we decided to take the risk," she concluded.

He admired her honesty but had to perform his job. "You know my hands are tied on this," Mason was genuinely sorry. "I don't anticipate you being in here for too long, but I do need to make a show of things," he let her know. The man turned to Helo. "Make it quick."

Helo stepped forward as the general left. "Thanks for leaving this all up to me, Starbuck," he joked. "You better behave and get out of here as quickly as possible."

"I'll do my best, promise," she replied with a toothy grin. "It won't be long. You heard Mason, this is all just to appease the president," Kara shrugged it off as a minor inconvenience, even though she feared it could amount to more than that.

"I hope you're right," Karl placed one hand through the bars and patted her hand in a supportive gesture. "I should be going. We really don't want to piss Mason off any more."

"See you soon," Kara kept her chin up for her friend's sake. As soon as Helo was out of range she backed herself up against the nearest wall and closed her eyes. Solid, unyielding concrete braced her against the long days ahead. She'd spent plenty of time in solitaire before and knew she could handle it on Earth as well as anywhere.

"Earth is counting on you, Lee." She took a deep breath and added with a whisper, "_I'm_ counting on you."

* * *

_To be continued…_


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe.

* * *

**Wing and a Prayer  
**Part 10

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

Adama's thoughts drifted again to the fact that his ship was too quiet. For the first time he attributed it to one missing soul. Kara Thrace had changed the course of many lives, his most surely. The old man didn't like to let his crew get close but Kara had managed to work her way into his life and his heart. He'd been luckier than most, left with Lee and Kara alive after the attacks. But it seemed his luck had finally run out.

He stood beside his son in the med bay. Lee sat on his bed, legs dangling over the edge. Adama thought he looked a lot like he had as a boy, solemn and always a little confused. The admiral wished he could take away his son's pain. His joy of finding Lee alive had little time to take hold before mysteries surrounding his return had surfaced.

They both waited as Cottle took a drag on his cigarette and glanced at the file in his hands. He closed the document and looked to Lee. "Well, you've been occupying this bed for almost four weeks, I think its time someone else got a shot at it," the Major drawled. "You're free to go."

Lee was a bit cautious. "Really, I can get out of here?"

The doctor nodded his head, cigarette dangling from the tip of his lower lip. He removed the item and blew smoke to one side. "Unless you've grown sentimentally attached to this place, get the frak out of my face," Cottle concluded.

Apollo got to his feet, still a little unstable due to muscle atrophy from lack of movement the last few weeks. He snatched up the clothing his father had brought for him and faced the two older men. "I'm going to change," he needlessly informed them before heading off toward the latrine across the room.

The old man nodded, waited for Lee to be out of earshot and then turned to Cottle again. "Is he really all right?"

Cottle shrugged and took another quick puff from his cigarette. "I'll be honest," he faced Adama. "Traumatic brain injuries are tricky, even in this day and age."

"What does that mean?" Adama's eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened. One month later and they were still no closer to knowing exactly what had happened to Lee and the others.

Doc Cottle sighed. "It means he might remember what happened to him in a few days, a few months… or he might never remember." His face turned a shade grimmer. "If he was taken by the Cylons and tortured… well, he may be intentionally trying to block those memories out without even realizing it."

Adama's blood ran cold. "Was there any sign of torture?" he gritted out the last word.

"No," the doc was quick to assure. "They may have patched him up before sending him back, though. It's hard to know for sure. But that tattoo on his arm is the only odd mark that I noticed, other than the injuries from his crash."

"It's an ancient symbol," Adama's voice was contemplative. He'd spotted it not long after Lee's return. "Typically associated with marriage rituals in Caprican society." It seemed an odd way for the Cylons to have marked his son.

Cottle nodded, a grin forming around the cigarette in his mouth. "So maybe he and Thrace finally tied the knot," the doctor chuckled.

"You think that's possible?" the old man queried. He knew his son and Kara had been good friends for a long time. Adama wasn't stupid, he acknowledged the things he tried not to see, like the anger in their eyes that was more flirtatious than menacing and the playfully relaxed tone of their voices whenever they flew together. He noticed all of it, more observant than most gave him credit for.

"Apollo and Captain Thrace?" Cottle put his hands up, backing away slowly from the conversation. He crushed his cigarette butt into a nearby basin. "I try to only make diagnoses of the medical kind," the man concluded, moving across the empty room and pulling out another smoke.

Lee returned dressed in casual attire. He wore a black cap with Galactica's insignia sewn into the front panel in gold thread. It covered most of the angry scar that ran across the left side of his head. The hair there had started to grow back just a little and Cottle promised it would most likely cover the scar given enough time.

There was nothing to take with him so Adama quickly escorted his son out of the room. They walked for a short time in silence, allowing Lee time to get used to being up on his feet again. A few pilots came up to shake Lee's hand or pat him on the back. They were outward signs of welcome for a well liked CAG. Lee smiled at them and tried to pretend things were normal even though they were far from it.

"What happened to me?" Lee finally asked, though neither of them stopped walking. "I know you've been trying to gloss over a lot of things since I got back here but I need some answers," he informed his father.

"What sort of answers?" Adama stepped lightly into the conversation. "I told you about getting our people off Caprica, finding the new planet, Baltar's presidency," the old man paused, that last occurrence still left a bitter taste in his mouth. He'd broken down and spoken to Roslin once, only very briefly after word of Lee's return had reached the surface.

"But what happened to me, and why can't I remember?"

"I wish I had those answers for you," Adama sighed. "Cottle says…"

"I know what Cottle says," Lee interrupted, a bit on edge. "I've talked to him every day for the last four weeks. I'm talking to you now and I want some different words," he demanded.

The old man decided to level with his son. "Chief Tyrol did a thorough check of your Raptor. The damage can't be fixed so it'll be scraped for parts, but the Cylon computer was salvaged. He also found some peculiarities, mainly in the form of an unknown type of fuel. Best the chief can tell it's a mix of organic minerals and something else, something we've never seen before."

Lee mulled over the information. "So the Cylon's technology has evolved again?"

"Most likely," Adama agreed. "I don't know why they took you or what they did to you and the others," he paused, thinking about Kara again. He could only come to conclude that she and Helo were dead. The old man knew she would have returned with Lee if that were not the case. "The only thing I wonder is why they sent you back? If it was to ambush us, it seems they'd have made a move by now. But it's been nearly a month and the stars out there are as silent as the day we set orbit around this planet."

They stopped walking and Lee could see that his father had just realized where they were. "I need to talk to her," Lee had managed to steer the old man straight to Galactica's brig.

"Out of the question," Adama made it clear he did not agree.

"Seeing Sharon might spark something, a memory of some sort," Lee persisted; surprised he'd called the Cylon by name. "Anything would be preferable to all the dangling questions in my head."

The old man was worried. "The Cylon could twist things," he warned.

"I won't let her get to me," Lee was confident. "Besides, Kara is the only one who knows how to frak with my head," he tried to make a joke of it. His old man had been slowly trying to build a case for Kara being dead. But as much as Lee could not remember, he instinctively felt that she was still very much alive.

Adama began to cave. "Are you sure?"

"I need to do this," Lee nodded.

The old man reluctantly gave his approval, realizing that Lee would probably find a way to see the Cylon no matter how much he tried to deter the meeting. Lee followed his father into the outer area of the brig. "I'm going in on my own," he looked for further argument but was pleased to find none. The guard let him into Sharon's cell.

"I wasn't sure you'd come, not after the Admiral told me you'd forgotten what happened to us," Sharon stood in the middle of the room, anxious but keeping her distance. "He doesn't trust me."

"With good reason," Lee leaned against the closed door, feeling a bit worn out from all the walking.

She eyed the Admiral through her windowed prison. "I won't continue to argue the fact that I'm not that Sharon. I can only hope that some day I'll be accepted for who I am and not what I am," she looked back to Lee. "We've been to Earth, and you know how to get back there. We encrypted the codes but they're on the Raptor."

"Chief says he can't fix the ship." Lee tried not to be affected by her words but her insistence ate at him. A headache began to form at his temples as he strained to pull out memories that just weren't there.

"You have to remember," she continued. "You at least have to remember Kara. What about that tattoo on your arm?"

Lee's ears perked up. "What do you know about that?"

"I know you asked Starbuck to marry you and she agreed."

"You're lying," Lee shook his head. "Kara and I are too messed up to make anything work between us," he believed that, even as much as he wanted the Cylon's words to be true. But he'd moved on with Dee before taking off on the Caprica mission. Lee was certain that he and Kara would only ever be friends.

"Things were different on Earth, a lot of things," Sharon persisted.

"What things?" Lee demanded. "I suppose you're going to stand there and tell me that we all became best friends on Earth?"

"No," Sharon replied. "No, you've always been very good at drawing that invisible line between friendship and duty. I know where I stand with you, it's a slightly better position than before Earth but I know where our boundaries are drawn," she took a breath. "I followed your lead. I left Helo behind and I used my Cylon brain to control our jumps, helping get us back here. I did it all because you asked me to and because I'm on your side and the side of this fleet. I make my own choices and I decided to help you."

Lee felt his head throb again. "I don't know what to believe."

"Believe in yourself; believe in Starbuck…" she sighed. "Go to the Raptor before the chief scraps it. See if the encoded information makes any sense. If it doesn't then I swear I'll sit here as long as it takes for you to remember."

"And if I never remember?"

The Cylon shrugged. "Then I guess I'll die in this cell with the secret of Earth tucked away in my head." Sharon moved away and sat upon the cot in the corner of the room. The conversation was over as far as she was concerned. She wouldn't argue her point any further.

Lee wandered back into the other room, his head pounding as he faced the old man again. "I don't know what I was thinking. If anything, I feel even more confused," he lamented. "For a second there, I was starting to believe some of the things she said."

Adama looked worried but he ushered Lee out into the corridor again. "Maybe you could use a distraction," he broached a subject that had been on his mind for a while. "I didn't tell you this before you left but I was planning to put you in charge of the Pegasus when you returned. Tigh's had no luck with that ship and I trust you more than anyone else in this fleet. I need some order over there and I think you could…"

Lee clutched his head, reaching out his other arm to brace against the bulkhead. He closed his eyes and Kara's voice echoed in his head. _"Adama was planning to make you Commander of Pegasus when we returned from Caprica."_ His eyes snapped open and the headache faded to a dull throb.

"What's wrong, are you okay?" Adama was at Lee's side, holding his arm.

"It's nothing," Lee tried to shrug it off. He didn't want to worry his father any further. "I've been having these twinges of pain," he admitted. "But they're not a big deal," Lee insisted, not revealing anything of the words he'd heard spoken in Kara's voice.

"Have you told Cottle?"

"Yes. I'm fine, really." Lee allowed himself to digest what his father had said before. "I don't know what to say, sir," he tried to stand up straighter and look the part of a Colonial officer again. "I'm honored but I don't think I can…" he sighed, not wanting to disappoint the old man. "I need to investigate the Raptor first and after that I'm not sure what I plan to do but I… I just don't think I can take on anything in the realm of commanding a battlestar, not right now."

The admiral nodded slowly. He was disappointed but he knew his son was right. At first he'd tried too hard to keep Lee distanced from everything, allowing him time to heal. Now he was trying too hard to push him into something he wasn't ready for. After over thirty years of fatherhood it seemed he still couldn't get it right. But he was trying. He'd never stop trying.

"I understand." He put a hand to Lee's shoulder and let his son know he was there for him. It seemed all he could do at the moment.

**xxx**

Starbuck leaned against the front door and closed her eyes for a moment. Mason's show of authority had come in the form of four long weeks holed up in a jail cell. At first the time had passed by quickly. She'd been allowed to communicate with Helo and contribute to the Viper project from a distance. Kara had even let herself think about Lee and his mission. Her dreams had been hopeful and she prayed each night for his safe return.

But those rituals only managed to sustain her for the first few weeks. Lee's absence started to gnaw at her. Dreams slowly faded from hopeful to nightmarish as her faith in Lee began to slip. Images of her mother looking down at her with disdainful eyes clouded her sleep. _"A hopeful Kara is a waste,"_ the woman's words had cut through her sleep, causing doubt to creep back in_. "Nothing good ever stays with you for long."_

A hand on her shoulder caused Kara to open her eyes. "You're back," Helo's excited tone filled her ears, mercifully breaking off the bad memories of her dreams. Before she knew it he'd wrapped his arms around her. For a moment she got caught up in the feel of his embrace, imagining it was Lee there to welcome her. That dream quickly faded too as he pulled out of the hug. "Jeez, didn't they feed you in there, you feel like bones," Helo observed. "Come on," one arm stayed around her shoulders. "I'll make you some real breakfast."

"No," Kara slithered away from his touch. "I just want a shower and then I want to see what sort of mess you've made of my Viper," her words came clipped and harsh. Kara's chin jutted outward, defiant against reality again. "And as a reward for getting out of jail today, I get to meet with Mason and the president this afternoon," she snarled.

"Okay," Helo backed away, playing it safe. After seeing her so happy for months, it was a bit of a shock to find her closed off again. But he empathized with her about missing someone at a distance. So he gave her the space she seemed to need. "I guess I'll see you on the flight deck then," he disappeared into the other room.

Kara took her shower, spent three hours on the flight deck inspecting the Viper's progress and then found herself seated in front of General Mason and another man she didn't recognize. She put on the best diplomatic mask she could muster and regarded the newcomer. He was tall, fairly young looking and had a casual air about him. Kara shrugged off his presence, waiting not so patiently for the president.

"President Collins here took office while you were… away," Mason made his announcement, motioning toward the other man in the room. "He was VP until the president passed away in his sleep two weeks ago."

Her eyes grew wide, realizing how little she'd been kept up on the unfolding events of planet Earth. She quickly tried to cover her surprise with indignation. "So, you'll be taking up where the other left off then?" Kara wasn't going to be taken in by the man's youthful eyes or his supposed good nature. "I imagine you share the former president's same unwavering stance on Cylon invasions and setting up a world-wide defensive strategy."

"Actually, no," the president shook his head. "Your existence here has only recently come to my attention. Obviously there have been rumors circulating, but…" he paused and leaned forward, looking her in the eye. "The general tells me that you have been very honest with him, so I'd like to be honest with you. I was ushered into the job of vice presidency on the shoulders of men who thought I'd be a push over. So far I've proven them right, but I've gotten a chance now to change all that." Collins sat back. "I'd like to hear your story and _really_ listen. I don't think that's something the former president ever cared to do."

Kara sat silently for a moment as she sized him up. He spoke diplomatically but did not appear paranoid, and his eyes shown with a truth she could not deny. She was actually impressed. But her stomach turned, suddenly realizing that Lee's mission might not have been necessary had they waited just a few weeks longer.

**xxx**

Helo found her in the bathroom, seated on the cold porcelain tile with her back against the wall. "You okay?" he asked the question though the answer was already fairly clear. He'd found her in a similar position more than once in the last few weeks. She always managed to have some sort of excuse for it.

"Fine, it's just nerves," Kara replied, the taste of bile still stuck in her throat. "The president is going to be there today," she continued, hoping that she could circumnavigate his questioning eyes. "There's a lot riding on this final test flight. I think Collins might actually be able to rally this planet for an impending Cylon attack. I can't let him down," she noticed that Helo was not convinced. "A lot of people get sick before big flights," she insisted.

"Yeah," Helo nodded as he wet a cloth and handed it to her. "But not you," he noted. "I've never seen you get sick before a flight of any sort, not even when you jumped into that contraption the chief built," he chuckled.

Kara whipped her mouth and avoided his eyes. "Like I told you, there's a lot at stake here."

He sighed, spotting her lies from a mile away. "You can't keep doing this Kara, I know you miss him. It's okay to miss him," Helo insisted, thinking about what he'd lost when that Raptor had taken off. "I wish I was with Sharon right now too. But going out every night and getting drunk is not the solution."

"It's always worked before," she quipped.

Helo was not so easily thwarted. He'd been sitting back and watching her for several weeks since she'd gotten out of jail, thinking she just needed time. Now he felt she needed a wake up call. "After all of this, you're still running away from your problems," he shook his head at her. "I thought you were stronger than that, Starbuck." He had a feeling some tough love was in order.

"Frak you, Helo, you don't know a damn thing," she turned to anger, an old familiar friend.

"No?" Karl asked. "Then why don't you tell me. Talk to me; even yell at me if you want. Just let me help you," Helo pleaded. "Is it Lee? Is it Mason riding you again? Is it worrying about the president and defending Earth?"

"It's all of that!" she did yell, not even realizing that she was so upset. "And it's none of that," Kara shook her head as she finally looked him in the eye. "You know where I go at night, Helo?"

"Where?"

"I don't go to a bar, I go to the park," her voice lost its angry edge. Instead it sounded slightly defeated. "I go and sit in that stupid park thinking about the first time Lee and I fraked against that tree."

"Maybe I don't want to hear this," it wasn't the response Helo had been expecting, far from it.

Kara wasn't really hearing him as she continued. "I sit on those swings and I remember the smell of his sweat and the taste of his skin. I hear the words we spoke that night and how I stood there and persisted, how I was the one who kept harping, kept pushing him toward the truth until he caved. And then I claw at the ground searching for the lost pieces of my past, because I want to cling to those objects again. Because it was easier to live with ghosts," she gulped back a sob. "Hoping that Lee will return… it's too hard."

He sighed, suddenly feeling bad for having pushed her. Helo got down on the floor beside her and put an arm around her shoulder; thankful when she didn't pull away from him. They sat that way for a while, quiet and still. "I haven't been drinking, Helo," she whispered. "Not a single drop since before Lee left. And you're right; it's not nerves making me sick," Kara finally admitted. "I think I might be pregnant."

Helo looked down at her, his eyes revealed the shock of that statement. "Are you serious?"

She nodded her head. "I stole three different tests from the base store and all of them came back positive. I didn't want news of what I was buying to get back to the general."

"Kara, you need to see a real doctor," Helo advised. Suddenly a lot of things made sense to him, like how she'd barely touched food the first few days she'd been back and how she'd eaten nothing but peanut butter sandwiches after that.

Her head fell forward into her hands as she hunched over. "I don't want kids," her voice was a shell of its usual tone. "I even told Lee that and he agreed. So why is this happening now? Just when Earth seems to finally be on the right track…" she lamented. "What is the meaning behind this little piece of Kara Thrace's fraked up destiny?"

Karl stayed close, leaning forward with her. One hand rested on her back. "People say a lot of things, make a lot of decisions based on what they think they can and can not handle," he replied. "But life throws you curves and you have to keep going. I sure wasn't ready for fatherhood but babies tend not to care whether you're ready or not," he reminded her.

"Gods, Helo," she couldn't look up at him. The half Cylon child had been a point of major contention within the fleet but she knew better than most how much Helo loved that baby. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to put this on you after all you've been through."

Helo smiled. "I loved my daughter and I wouldn't change what happened if it meant never having laid eyes on her, if only for a brief moment." He lifted Kara's chin and made her look up. "Maybe this baby doesn't have anything to do with destiny. Maybe it has only to do with the love of two people being so strong that it created new life," he concluded. "You have done so much good here, maybe this is a reward and not the punishment you see it as."

Kara bit her bottom lip, wanting to believe his words. But every bit of her screwed up past spoke even louder. "I don't know if I can do this, Helo," she confessed.

He nodded in understanding. His story was much different than hers but he'd stand by her like she'd stood by him, no matter what decision she came to in the end. "We'll figure it out," he whispered reassuringly. "What ever you want, you don't have to do it alone."

**xxx**

New Caprica was not home and Adama felt very out of place as he walked along the rows of tents that had been set up. He knew which tent housed her school. Ellen Tigh had been all too eager to point it out for him. From the landing spot of his Raptor he walked two lengths of the settlement and hers was the large gray one on the right.

He lifted the tent flap and found her seated at a long table. She looked up upon hearing the noise. Her glasses slipped down toward her nose as she looked over them and straight into his eyes. "So, you finally found your way down from that ship," Roslin spoke in an even tone.

"I came to see Lee," he nodded, working further into the area that was littered with tables and stakes of books. A multitude of drawings were strewn about the canvas walls. "And I hear there's a celebration planned for tonight?"

She abandoned her work and shifted in her seat. "Baltar's making a rather large fuss about it, claims we need new holidays for our new home. So Founder's Day has become the first," Laura explained.

The old man nodded again. He perused the children's artwork with arms limp at his side. "Have you seen Lee much?" he asked with his back turned to her. His son had done as he vowed, going over the Raptor's information. Lee had poured over it for an entire week and then suddenly he'd left Galactica without a word. On the surface Lee had finally contacted the old man telling him he needed some time alone. A short visit planet-side had seemed like a good idea. His short visit had stretched into weeks.

"We've had lunch on several occasions," Roslin rose and worked her way toward Adama, standing beside him. "He talks about the information he found on that ship, how it seems familiar but not familiar," she explained. "Mostly though, he speaks of Captain Thrace. I believe he misses her a great deal."

Adama knew the truth of those words, he felt the same way. He finally turned to face her. "I'm sorry," he found himself apologizing.

She shook her head at him. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. You pushed me away, I finally got that message," Laura would not be appeased so easily. "You think now that Lee is back you can just show up and everything will be fine?" Roslin removed her glasses. "You hurt me. I know the decisions I made were a risk but I still stand behind them. And if you don't stand with me then you stand against me."

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I was wrong to shut you out. I was upset and I was grieving. But I started to have a very hard time complying with your authority. The election was just the final pressure point in a long line," Adama was honest with her. "I understand that keeping the Cylon child safe was important but telling parents their child is dead when it's not… for some reason I had a very hard time with that," he confessed.

"Seems we always did disagree on most things," her voice had lost some of its anger.

Adama looked her in the eye. "I don't want this void between us any longer," he confessed. "Maybe we could agree to disagree," he offered, extending his hand to her. "Maybe we could start to find common ground again, simply as Bill and Laura?"

After a hesitant moment, she took his hand in hers and squeezed gently. "I think I'd like that, Bill."

The rustling of the tent flap startled them both. They sprang apart and turned to find Lee standing at the far end of the structure. "I thought that was you I saw walking across the complex," he covered the uncomfortable fact that he'd been standing there for a few minutes, listening to their private conversation. Lee moved in further and hugged his father. "I'm glad you're here."

"So am I," the old man replied, noticing that his son looked a little bit more like himself again. In the distance a steady din of chatter swiftly began to rise. "It sounds like there's a celebration starting out there, we should join them," Adama motioned for his son to lead the way.

"Do you mind if I tag along?" Roslin asked.

The admiral smiled. "Not at all," he held the tent flap open for her. The three of them walked toward a spot in the distance where a crowd had started to form. "So, I hear that you've gotten involved down here?" Adama asked of his son.

"This Founder's Day is just the beginning," Lee nodded. "I've been working with Gaeta on Baltar's city plan. I'm helping to organize for future construction. Its good work and I feel productive." He didn't mention that staying busy helped him from thinking about his accident and the missing time that still remained unaccounted for in his mind. Or that it provided distraction from mulling over the encoded Raptor data and letting his mind drift to memories of Kara. "I'm afraid if I was commanding a sedentary battlestar I'd just end up getting fat," he joked.

Adama was quiet for a moment letting the conversation drop. His hand reached out and came to rest on Lee's shoulder. "I miss you," he wasn't sure what else to say.

"I miss you too, but you'll see plenty of me," Lee insisted.

Roslin smiled as she watched the two men. She was happy to have finally made a positive move toward healing her fractured relationship with the admiral. And she was pleased to witness father and son reconnecting. The three of them endured Baltar's quick speech and his less than enthusiastic performance as he scooped up a pitiful amount of dirt with his shiny shovel. There were cheers and hand clapping and it seemed that the majority of the people were pleased to have found a patch of barren land to call home, even if it wasn't the promise that Earth had been.

The party started to take off after Baltar disappeared. Lively folk music sounded throughout the area and booze flowed like the rushing water that must have once run through the now dry river valley. Before he knew it, Lee found himself face to face with Dee. He looked around in vain, not spotting his father or Roslin anywhere.

"Would you like to dance?" she asked.

He nodded politely. They hadn't spoken much since he'd returned. Lee remembered her and everything that had transpired between them before his departure, but for some reason the feelings for her that had started to grow then, weren't there any longer. As they danced, spinning and twirling, his head swam again with pain. Dee's face became a blur and was replaced by Kara's image. She smiled as she danced with him, hand in hand. Their arms linked for a second but then she pranced off across the stage, fading into the night.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this…" Lee rushed away from the scene, ashamed for leaving Dee in the lurch. He wandered away from the festivities all together until he found himself at the mouth of the old river. Sand squished into his shoes so he kicked them off and padded along barefoot for a while.

Lee stopped beside a tall tree minutes later and he leaned heavily against it. His eyes closed and a familiar pain seared through his head as Kara's face revisited him. _"I don't want any more walls between us, Lee. Zak is gone, maybe Anders is too. But you're still here and I'm right here."_ She felt so close he could almost smell the scent of roses in the air. _"Don't you think that means something?"_

He jolted away from the tree, feeling the ghostly burn of her kiss upon his lips. "I don't know what it means, Kara," he sunk to his knees in the sand. "Are you alive, or am I just losing my mind?" He leaned over and held his head in his hands, closed his eyes and waited for time to heal his wounds.

* * *

**One year later…**

_"I know one thing for certain… if you don't come back I will hunt you down, Lee Adama,"_

Lee lifted his head from his hands and stood. A cool breeze kicked up. He pulled his jacket tighter as he moved back toward the town. A new memory had just bombarded him and he wanted to speak to Laura about it. She'd become a very good friend over the past year since he'd decided to stay on the planet. Their talks always managed to ease his haunted mind.

He spotted Saul and Ellen Tigh as they ducked into the meeting hall tent. The crowd inside was noisy and Lee knew they were discussing the formation of a new worker's union. He continued on past the pyramid field, which was packed with players. Sam Anders gave Lee a nod of acknowledgment as he passed. They'd met shortly after Lee had made his stay on the planet permanent. They'd even formed a friendship based on their connection to Kara. But unlike Lee, Sam had managed to move on, taking up with a pretty red-head named Jean.

Purpose moved Lee's feet faster, but as he arrived at Roslin's tent he realized that her afternoon art class had already started. He was too pumped to let that stop him so he pushed inside anyway and found her helping one of the children with a painting. He noticed that the picture was an ocean landscape with waves crashing down upon a beach. Lee found himself getting lost in the swirling blue of the child's water depiction.

"Lee," Roslin's voice sounded in his ear. "Was there something you needed?" she asked. He pulled out of his trance and nodded, telling her about the reason for his visit. "Why don't you stay, you can help me finish up here and then we can talk when we're done," Laura suggested.

"I don't know, I'm not really good with…" he was interrupted by a tug at the sleeve of his jacket. Lee looked down at the young boy who had drawn the ocean waves. He appeared to be about five or six years old and stared up at Lee with bright green eyes.

"Will you help me mister?" the boy asked. "Teacher says I need some fish in my drawing but I've never seen a real fish before. Do you know what a fish looks like, will you help me draw one?" he pressed a paint brush into Lee's hand without warning.

Lee snapped the wooden object in half as Kara's voice drew a blaze of pain from his left temple. _"Lee, I love you but I'm sorry to have to tell you that is the ugliest fish I've ever seen."_ The memory flash didn't end there like usual. Instead it flowed into a jumbled rush of others.

_Welcome to Earth. Lee, do you have the exact coordinates from here to Earth? We're going to stand on Earth, for real this time. We're standing on Earth, Kara… if I recall correctly, someone told me that was the first big step. How we sing as we limp through the air… Old Earth war song the pilots taught me. I love you here on Earth; I'll love you on Galactica if we ever return... If we can't even take a risk for love then what the frak is the point of all this?_

"Lee, are you all right?" Laura's distant voice slowly brought him back to reality. "What's wrong?" she asked more urgently.

"I don't know," Lee's head suddenly felt clearer than it had since he'd woken up in Cottle's sick bay over a year ago. "Maybe something is finally right," he smiled as he darted out of the tent without another word of explanation. He ran through the bustling crowd of New Caprican citizens and bumped up against several people.

"Far from home, near in heart," the words stopped him dead in his tracks. Lee turned around and came face-to-face with a short woman clad in flowing robes. She stared into his eyes as if reading his thoughts. He'd seen her before and knew she was an oracle that had set up residence at the edge of town. Her hand reached out and traced over the spot on his jacket where his tattoo lay hidden. "She is close to you here," the woman whispered. "And here," her hand moved to hover over his heart. "Now here," she concluded, pointing to his head.

She turned and left him standing in the middle of the busy complex. A few seconds later his feet were propelling him as fast as possible to the communications Raptor. He dialed up Galactica and asked Dee if he could speak to his father. "Lee?" the old man sounded surprised but pleased by the call.

"Dad, I'm coming up to see you. There's… something is coming together in my head and I need to see Sharon again. I need to…"

"Lee, calm down. Start at the beginning," Adama insisted.

"I think Kara is alive, and I think she's really on Earth," static interrupted his revelation. "Dad?"

"Lee?" the admiral's voice was choppy as he tried to respond. Lee looked at the wireless control but gave up quickly as he heard a familiar sound outside. He dropped the device and stumbled out of the ship only to have his worst fears realized. Above him in the cloudy New Caprican sky, an army of Cylon Raiders flew past.

"You've got to be fraking kidding me," Lee swore as he dashed back across the complex and raced to his tent. He grabbed his duffle bag and started to gather all the charts and information he'd downloaded from the Raptor before the Chief had scrapped it. It was the information that Sharon insisted would lead them back to Earth. His only hope was that he could get to a ship and up to Galactica before the Cylons had a chance to spot him.

That hope was dashed far quicker than he could have imagined as his tent flap abruptly flopped open. Lee took a step backward as a familiar Cylon stepped inside the small space. He knew the machine simply by the name of Leoben. "What do you want?"

The Cylon's lips parted and curled into a half smile. "I'm looking for Kara Thrace."

* * *

_**To be continued…  
**__  
Thank you for all your comments. I really appreciate them._


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe.

**Note:** I really tried to get this up sooner for you all, but life threw a few rocks at me this week. Thanks again for all your awesome reviews!

* * *

**Wing and a Prayer  
**Part 11

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

Lee struggled to catch his breath, hunched over on hands and knees against the unforgiving concrete floor. The pain in his side was go great that he was sure they'd cracked or broken a few of his ribs. He slowly got up to his knees alone and watched as Leoben circled him. The harsh light in the small room was difficult to see through, especially after days, weeks, possibly months of being trapped inside the dark space.

"Where is Kara Thrace?" Leoben asked the same question, over and over.

And Lee replied the same as always. "I don't know."

"You're lying," the Cylon's voice was calm, not betraying any sort of urgency.

Until recently it wouldn't have been a lie, Lee thought as he tried to take a deep breath only to be rewarded by a shooting pain that seemed to touch every nerve sensor in his body. He remained on his knees, not allowing the machine to see him crumple completely in agony, though he wished to do just that. Leoben wasn't the one who had gotten Lee into such a state. That was the work of Centurions and hooded NCP officers, as the Cylon's seemed to be playing some sort of good cop/bad cop game with him.

"You can end all this, I don't wish to see you suffer," the Cylon seemed honest enough as he spoke. "I came to you because I know that your path is linked to hers. All you have to do is tell me where she is," he implored.

Lee maintained his defiant stance even as he felt his body giving in a little bit more with each passing moment. At first he'd tried to keep track of the days but he'd quickly lost count as day and night could hardly be distinguished in the hole where they were keeping him. He couldn't give up, though. He'd already let Kara down by wasting a years time in forgetting. He had to stay strong.

"Where is Kara Thrace?!" Leoben raised his voice in frustration for the first time, intrigued by the Human's stamina.

"I don't know," Lee grinned, pleased at his ability to finally rill the machine. He mentally clawed at the recesses of his mind and Kara's promise again filled his head with comfort. _"If you don't come back, I will hunt you down..."_ He'd been holding on to that hope since the day the Cylons had landed and tossed him into detention.

Leoben stopped pacing and crouched down in front of Lee. "It wasn't meant to happen this way," he spoke softly again. "I saw it, I saw her path laid out before me and this is wrong. Kara Thrace was meant to be here, it's her destiny to lead us all to Earth. What changed?" he asked.

Still Lee didn't budge. "I don't know," he repeated the same mantra. He watched the Cylon get up and move purposefully toward the door. The latch unlocked with a dim click and then Lee's ears were filled by the familiar metallic thrum of a Centurion's movements. Another, softer, set of footsteps joined the other as two shadows fell over him.

"We'll start again when you're ready to cooperate," Leoben spoke as Lee watched him retreat into the hall.

He looked up to see one metal-head and one masked figure staring down at him. "I'll count on it," Lee whispered the words in reply to the Kara voice in his head, just before the first blow was landed.

**xxx**

Kara glanced out the window of her room as she lay in the bed that had been her and Lee's for too short a time. She listened to the early morning thunder storm as it passed over the desert. Fat raindrops splattered against the window pane, rolling downward with the gentle push of gravity. Earth's raindrop patterns were as various as the people of its planet.

She closed her eyes for a moment and remembered her first rainstorm on Earth. Sense memory carried her back to that night at the park like it had so many times just after Lee's departure. The smell of him still lingered heavy in her nostrils, the sweetness of rain kissed Earth against the pungency of his sweaty neck as she'd suckled his skin. She couldn't be sure but Kara had a good feeling that was the night their child had been conceived.

A small sound caught her attention and Kara willingly returned to reality. She glanced across the room and an unbidden smile spread across her face as she eyed the source of the noise. The other bed in the room had been replaced by a slightly smaller one with bars. Kara had to chuckle at that as she scrambled out of bed and moved to stand in front of the crib.

Her arms rested on the top rail as she leaned over and peered inside to find that the child was wide awake. "Morning, baby," she whispered a greeting which instantly caused the girl to turn her head toward her mother's voice. "How come you let me sleep in?" Kara reached out a hand and smoothed it over the girl's tummy. A somewhat bashful, toothless grin was her reward. "If I didn't know you were a girl, I'd swear you were an exact replica of your daddy."

The baby looked away from her mother and up at the objects orbiting her head. Kara reached out and tapped the shiny silver one, causing it to bump into the other ones, which made them all sway. The little girl giggled appreciatively and Kara found herself grinning again. She figured her daughter was the only baby around with a cigarette lighter dangling over her crib.

She grasped the lighter, running her thumb over the etched letters. Kara was surprised they hadn't withered away by now, considering how many times she'd taken part in the ritual. After tossing her ring and dog tag away, the lighter had become a new talisman. She'd kept it close for months, carrying it in her pocket every day until her daughter had been born. Kara didn't need the material reminder of Lee as much, now that she had a living, breathing one to take care of.

The lighter clicked against the other items that Helo had crafted into a mobile for his favorite little munchkin. Kara grasped the mini Viper model and looked down at her daughter. "That's mommy's favorite," she informed the girl. "Viper Mark-E. The 'E' stands for Earth, which is the planet you were born on. This Viper has stealth capability and another secret weapon. I evened the playing field a little and made the Mark-E the first Viper with an FTL drive. That was no easy task but the Human's of Earth seem to want the best of everything so we all managed to make it work."

Kara looked down at the baby who appeared confused by her ramble of words. There was even a little furrow in her brow that reminded Kara so much of Lee and the old man. "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" she shook her head and touched another one of the tiny ships. "This one is mommy's newest ship. It's the first original Earth/Colonial collaborative design project. It's also Earth's first deep space flight vessel and that makes is pretty special."

The girl's furrow softened as she regarded her mother, listening to her voice. "I decided to name it the _Jupiter_. You'll understand why, some day when you're older and learn about the history of how the Colonial people came to find Earth." Kara had learned plenty about Earth in the past year, taking it upon herself to be knowledgeable about every bit of history she could get her hands on.

She'd read hundred's of books, mostly focusing on space exploration, politics and religion. The later had her reading a whole host of religious documentation including something called The Bible, another titled The Koran and many others. The only thing she'd really been able to discern from all of her reading was that Earth seemed to have room for a variety of people and religious beliefs. They'd fought numerous wars over their varied lifestyles yet they still managed to live together on one planet. The Colonial and Cylon people had the vastness of twelve planets and hadn't been able to do the same.

The baby grew bored by her mother's words and flipped herself over onto her stomach. It was a trick she'd learned a few months back. But as Kara watched the girl now she noticed the baby was trying to push herself up with her tiny arms. Kara's heart tightened with the realization that the child would be crawling before she knew it. Then there would be walking and talking. "Hey, don't be so quick to grow up," she warned.

It was funny to think that a year ago she'd adamantly not wanted kids, and now she was telling her daughter not to grow up. But Kara realized it had more to do with Lee than herself. "Your daddy is missing too much," she sighed. Knowing that Lee had agreed to their no kids plan made her pause a moment, but Kara figured if she'd come around to the idea then surely Lee would as well.

Kara walked across the room and snatched up her sketchbook, the one Lee had presented to her on the day of their picnic. There was a pencil tucked inside and she took the two items in hand as she settled on the floor in front of her daughter's crib. She flipped through the pages to find the next blank one. But as she flipped, Kara revisited some of the past. Lee's fish art was still in the front of the book and she'd shown it to their little girl on several occasions.

It was followed by numerous drawings and paintings that Kara had done over the past year of life on Earth. There were some self portraits of her in various stages of pregnancy and a few nature scenes as well as ship design concepts. But most of the pictures reflected the first months of baby Adama's life. Kara took pencil to paper now and started to render the newest endeavors of their child as she rocked back and forth and pushed her little body up as far as she could before flopping back against the mattress.

The girl quickly tired of her new trick and turned crabby as morning truly dawned outside their window. The sun was slowly replacing storm clouds and Kara knew it was going to be another warm day. Even rolling into fall as they were, the weather was still quite toasty in the desert. "I see the allure of doing push-ups in hack has faded," Kara joked as she discarded her notebook and plucked the child out of her baby prison.

She changed the girl's diaper and put her into a fresh outfit for the new day. When the baby began to root around at her chest, Kara knew that the call of hunger would need to be addressed. She'd been weaning the girl away from breastfeeding, due to the plan that she had in mind. But Kara hadn't quite been able to let go of the ritual yet and late nights and mornings were usually still cause for nursing.

The two of them settled in on the bed and the littlest Adama happily suckled as Kara glanced out the window again. The raindrops were evaporating as sunlight came to kiss the glass. It seemed that no matter how bad the storm was, it always passed. She looked down at her daughter and remembered again how adamant she'd been about not wanting kids. Things hadn't been easy at first and Kara was still certain she'd manage to screw up being a mother, but she couldn't imagine life without the girl.

A soft knock sounded at the bedroom door and Karl stuck his head inside. "I thought I heard sounds of life in here," he smiled. Then he noticed the tender scene between mother and daughter and felt bad for intruding. "I'll come back later," he pulled away.

He'd nearly shut the door all the way when Kara called out to him. "Stay," she motioned him in. "We need to talk."

Helo stepped inside fully and leaned against the doorframe. He folded his arms across his chest and grinned. "Starbuck, what is that?" he asked, glancing in the baby's general direction.

"Well, Helo… this is a baby," she pointed to the girl. "And this is a boob," Kara chuckled, pointing out the other item as well.

He rolled his eyes at her, knowing that some days she couldn't help opening her smart-ass mouth. Karl Agathon had gotten used to life with Kara Thrace but he feared baby Adama would grow up to be just as sassy as her mother. He wasn't sure if the universe could handle two Starbuck's. "I was talking about her outfit," he spoke up again. "Did I go colorblind over night or is she wearing pink?"

"Your uncle Karl thinks he's so funny," Kara spoke to her daughter then looked up to her friend again. She shrugged. "I did give her a boy's name; I figured she should have some girl things. Actually, Yuri's wife sent it for her with a whole box of other clothes. To not use them would be rude, besides it saves me from having to shop for the kid."

He nodded. "Right, because if it was up to you she'd go around in nothing but a diaper," Helo noted.

"I still don't see what's wrong with that," Kara replied. "Skin is a lot easier to get clean than baby puke stained clothes," she concluded, thankful for the light moment before she dove into what was on her mind. "Helo, do you know what today is?"

"Ah, now time for the serious part of our conversation," he replied, pretty certain he knew where she was headed. "I know it's someone's six month birthday. And I also know that someone else made a vow the day she was born that if Lee wasn't back in six month's time she'd be going to find him."

"Glad you were paying attention," she nodded.

"Certain things stick in the mind, and the day that little girl was born… well, that was quite memorable," nearly as memorable as the birth of his own child, Helo recalled. Not for the first time, he envied what Kara held in her arms. But his thoughts quickly returned to the present. "Jupiter has been space worthy for weeks now, text flights are all completed. So, when do we leave?"

"Helo, I think you need to stay here with her," Kara indicated the baby.

"I think you need to think again," Helo quickly set her straight, standing at attention. "I'm going with you," by the tone of his voice, the point was clearly not up for discussion. "Kara, I would have gone after Sharon a long time ago if it hadn't been for you and the munchkin. I care about both of you very much and I respect your authority but I won't stay behind this time."

"And what about her?" she glanced down at the girl in her arms who had dozed off in the middle of her meal.

"Well, if you're going and I'm going…" Helo shrugged. "Then I guess we need to fit one of Jupiter's seats with a baby carrier," he concluded, dead serious. "I think our only real hurdle in all this might be Mason and the UESA. That ship is half theirs, even more than half really," Karl pointed out.

"I know," Kara agreed, already resigning herself to the idea of taking her daughter along, as dangerous as that may be. She didn't know how she would have barred being away from the child anyhow. "But I think I can handle Mason," she confidently concluded.

**xxx**

"Absolutely not!"

General Mason, newly appointed director of the United Earth Space Alliance, shook his head as he faced the headstrong captain. She was standing in the middle of the flight deck, feet planted in a warning stance even as a baby was strapped to her front in a small pack. He could see the little one's head as it lolled to the left side, clearly asleep. Her two little feet stuck out below. Pale, soft baby skin was a contrast to all the metal ships in the hanger. He had to give the woman credit; she hadn't slowed down or mellowed out much for having given birth six months previous. There was still a fire in her; a fire that had been much needed in regard to uniting the people of Earth.

"Something has happened," Kara kept up her end of the argument as Helo and the other pilots stood nearby, pretending not to hear the entire conversation as they half-heartedly tinkered on their projects. "Lee should have been back by now and I'm going to find him. If I don't get your permission I'll take the ship regardless," she declared.

"That ship is the property of the UESA and you will do no such thing," he countered, fighting stubborn with stubborn.

"_That_ ship, nor any of those Vipers…" Kara flung her arm out to indicate the row of silver ships that lined the port side of the hanger. "…none of them would exist if not for the design information we've provided you. It is in your own best interest to help find the fleet. Vipers are a hell of a flying machine and the small fleet that we've built here is a good start, but without Galactica and Pegasus, you don't stand a chance."

The general's face tightened, recalling all the stories she'd told them about the Cylons and their ruthless campaigns. "And if you go and don't come back, if the Cylon's show up and we don't have your leadership, we die anyway," he countered.

"I've trained them well, sir. I've done the job you asked of me," Kara spoke of her pilots and the other officers who she'd instilled with Colonial battle tactics. "And I will be coming back," she unconsciously reached out and held on to one of her daughter's feet. "I have a lot riding on this, sir. I need to know, I need to at least try."

He caught the movement of her hand as it stroked the child's foot. His heart went out to her. "I appreciate that this is personal, but…"

"But what if it was personal to you?" Kara didn't let him finish. "What if it was your wife that was lost out there; what if it was your daughter or your grandson?" she tried to plea to his emotional side. The man had slowly let her into his life, inviting both she and Helo to family functions and serving as a father figure in Adama's absence. He'd also become a confidant as they spent hours on end working closely together.

Mason's jaw twitched as her emotionally packed words hit him. He knew her fire and devotion were both a strength and a weakness. It seemed though that the weakness part usually pertained to those who orbited her world. He had no doubt that the Adama men she spoke so highly of were as taken by her as he was.

"I'll need to speak to the president but," an idea was quickly forming in his head. "I think there might be a way for this to happen."

**xxx**

Adama sat with hands folded in his lap, feeling like the lost child that he'd so often seen reflected in his son. He wondered how much of his own insecurity he'd pushed upon the boy over the years. The idea was quickly shaken from his head as he refocused on the present. Looking back now would not do Lee or the rest of the fleet any good.

"His last words sounded so confident. He seemed certain that Starbuck was alive and that she was on Earth," he spoke to the woman beside him.

"What do you believe?" Sharon asked. For over a year he'd been coming to visit her. At first he'd simply stared at her through the glass, later he'd moved inside the cell and slowly they'd began to strike up conversation. Since the Cylons had arrived, he came every day. And each time she saw him he looked older than the day before.

"I want to believe in my son, I want to believe its all true," Adama revealed. "But I'm still not sure," he shook his head. "And I'm sitting here, wasting precious tactical time by asking a Cylon, a machine, for guidance…"

"You know I'm more than that," Sharon took offense but betrayed none of the anger she felt in her tone. "I've overcome programming like a child overcomes adolescence. I've grown and learned. Instead of being told what the right thing is, I've managed to figure it out for myself. That makes me different than most of the Cylons. It makes me very Human."

"Yes, it does," he had to admit it was true, though he still didn't understand how it was possible. But he was starting to realize that there would always be things in the universe that he didn't understand. Adama had a feeling that was the true basis of faith, though he'd never been a very faithful man before.

"I also know what it's like to be a parent, and what it means to lose a child," her voice finally relayed emotion, a note of sorrow that was also very human in nature. "And I know that if my child was just within reach I would stop at nothing to figure out a way to get to her." Sharon sympathized with his plight.

The old man bit his tongue, once again clamping down on the secret that Laura had asked him to keep. It ate at him but he pushed it aside for the moment, because there was no point in even bringing up the subject at the moment. "You truly believe you've been to Earth?"

She sighed. "We've had this conversation so many times and I keep giving you the same answer. I won't reply this time, because I don't really think that's the question you want an answer to. You're looking for me to tell you what to believe, but I can't do that. That's something you need to figure out yourself. Until you do, I don't think you'll be able to move forward."

"If Lee trusted you, then maybe I should trust you."

"Forget about Lee," Sharon's voice was emphatic. "Forget about what everyone else thinks and tell me what _you_ think. The people of this fleet look to you for leadership, they put their trust in you every day. But the basis of _your_ trust lies in the trust you put in others to help you. You can't do this alone. If we're going to rescue our people off New Caprica, we need a plan."

"You would help?" he was still surprised, despite all the movements she'd already made to show her allegiance to the fleet.

"Yes," there was no hesitation in her voice. "We all have a role to play in the history we are creating here. You've known your role for a while, Kara figured hers out. Now its time to let me play my role in all this," Sharon noted. "And the sooner we get away from here, the sooner we get back to Earth," she added. "I have family I'd like to see again too," she let him know as her thoughts drifted to Helo.

At last Adama was finally able to see her as more than a machine, more than a mask of a young pilot he'd know that betrayed him. "You have my trust," he finally revealed, conviction in his tone. He'd always been known to roll the hard six.

That was good enough for her. "Our biggest worry is Lee," she began. "You said that according to Tigh and Anders' correspondence, he is still being held. He knows the way to Earth. And if it's true that he's remembered and the Cylons figure that out, we could be in much bigger trouble than any of us realize. I know Lee is strong but they'll find a way to get to him. You can be sure of that."

**xxx**

The UESA vessel, Jupiter, was Earth's long sought after answer to true space exploration. It was almost twice the size of a NASA STS, but more maneuverable. The ship contained the first gravity stabilizer of its kind, another hybrid of Earth and Colonial engineering. There was a forward cabin with a six-passenger capacity. It also had room to bunk those six in the aft chamber and a cargo hold which currently housed four Viper Mark-E ships. And the supply stores had enough water and rations to last a crew a month out in space.

Jupiter sat in Earth orbit now, waiting to make its first deep space flight. Helo was positioned as co-pilot with Kara at the controls. An expanse of stars lay before them as they closed in on the ISS, which had been their first introduction to the people of Earth a year and a half ago. _"Captain Kara Thrace,"_ a voice crackled over Jupiter's comm. system. _"This is Commander Laika on the International Space Station."_

"I know who you are," Kara smiled at the man's formality. "But what are you doing up here, Commander? I didn't think you were due for another sojourn until the end of the year?"

"I asked specifically to be here for today's event," Yuri replied. "It was I who first greeted you to this planet and I wanted it to be my voice to send you off again."

Kara tried to keep a cap on her emotions as she listened to her friend speak. She'd been allowed a trip back to Russia and had stayed with him and his family. He'd been to southern California once when the UESA doctrine had been signed. And they'd forged the rest of their friendship via phone and email over the year. "I'll be back, Commander," she assured him with a slightly shaky voice.

"Yes, I believe you will," he answered with confidence. "There is an old Earth saying I wish to leave you with. Fortune favors the bold."

Helo and Starbuck exchanged a look of gratitude; both equally touched by the man's words. "We have a saying as well. Good hunting," Kara relayed the message.

"In that case, Captain," Yuri replied. "Good hunting." The line was closed after that. No more needed to be said between them.

Kara glanced over her shoulder and spotted her daughter fast asleep in the seat behind Helo. "Can you believe that? Her first trip into space and she's decided to take a nap," Kara laughed. "I think they gave me the wrong kid."

"Oh no," Helo shook his head. "She's the right kid. Six months old and she's already so comfortable in the seat of a ship that she's sleeping. That's an Adama/Thrace kid if ever there was one," he laughed too, thankful for the ease of tension as they were about to take off.

Her laughter faded as she craned her neck to check on their other three passengers. "How about the rest of you, comfy enough back there?" Kara asked as she regarded them. Their young faces reflected a mixture of controlled fear and childlike excitement.

Mason and the president had finally agreed to her launch of the Jupiter, but with the stipulation that she was to take on three Earth passengers from different UESA countries. All of them had been students of theirs. Pilots, Jun Mohri and Gavin Shepard were both quite skilled in basic Viper flight. And Lieutenant Susan Tereshkova had been at the top of Helo's first Raptor class.

Kara looked to Tereshkova who was seated across from the baby. "If anything happens in route, you're responsible for her," Kara pointed a finger toward her sleeping daughter. "If there's an accident and I'm up here trying to save our asses, you make sure she's safe, understood?" she watched the woman nod. "If there's a hull breach, you be sure and zip up her oxygen suite," Kara didn't let up. "If we come out of a dog fight and you're conscious but she's not… trust me, you'll wish you were."

"Starbuck, she understands. Stop scaring the poor girl," Helo cut Kara off and got her to face forward again. "FTL drive is spun and ready. Waiting for your order, sir," he prepped for their first jump.

Kara looked over her controls to find all systems checked out. "Houston, this is Jupiter," she opened a comm. to the surface. "We are ready for our first FTL jump and will commence with clearance from Houston," Kara sat at the ready.

Mason's voice came in reply. "Jupiter, you are clear for jump," there was a brief pause, then, "Safe journey, Houston out."

She looked to Helo again, actually nervous for the first time ever in the cockpit of a ship. "On my mark…" Kara took a deep breath as she closed her eyes for a second and sent out a plea to the universe. _Just please let us find them alive_. She had faith that any other hurdle could be overcome. Resolve firmly slipped back into place as she opened her eyes and remembered her position of command aboard the Jupiter.

"3, 2, 1… Mark."

**xxx**

Lee blinked several times as he slowly surfaced from a deep sleep. When he finally focused, he could see the distinct shapes of shadows as they danced across the wall in front of him. Light reflected off the gray concrete and he turned to discover a bank of windows to his right. He quickly realized that he wasn't in his Cylon cell any longer. The second thing he noticed was that he was comfortable, very comfortable.

He felt around for the hard floor but found only a soft mattress at his fingertips. Lee sat up and looked down at the bed he'd been laying on. Questions instantly bombarded him. One hand went to his chest and ran its way down over his abdomen. There was no pain, no trouble in breathing or in stretching his muscles as he stood. His legs held his weight with no effort at all.

For a short time he wandered the odd surroundings, discovering it was a small studio type apartment. He found a wash room and stood before the mirror to access the damage from his captors, but was surprised to find none. There were no physical marks anywhere on his body. No bruises or blood, just the twisting design of Kara's tattoo on his bicep.

"Where the frak am I?" he finally questioned as he entered the main room again. Lee made his way to the windows and glanced outside. That's when he realized he was still in New Caprica's main facility. The click of a lock caused him to turn his attention toward the top of the stairs where a door slid open.

Leoben appeared and Lee knew that he was still very much a prisoner, though he had no idea why his dirty cage had suddenly turned into a gilded one. Lee soon noticed that the Cylon wasn't alone as he descended the stairs. There was a child in his arms; a little girl to be exact.

"I see you're finally awake. That's good," Leoben spoke. "There's someone I want you to meet," he looked over at the girl who wore a shy smile on her face. "This surprise was meant for Kara, but she's not here with us to share it. So I thought you should be the first to meet her. This is Kasey."

The girl smiled at the mention of her name. "Hi," she looked to Lee as she spoke, two fingers nervously playing at the edge of her mouth. They were finally pulled in as she playfully sucked on them.

Lee couldn't help but smile at the child. She was beautiful, golden haired and eyes that shone with innocence. He hated to think about what she was doing with the Cylons. "What is this all about?" he finally asked, not able to contain his curiosity. One minute they were beating the shit out of him, the next he was completely healed and being introduced to a child. It made no sense at all.

"Like I told you before, I know your path is linked to Kara's," Leoben reminded him. "Which means your path is linked to this child. If you love Kara Thrace, which you obviously do by the way you've been protecting her… then surely you wouldn't want anything to happen to this child."

"Why?"

"Because, Kasey is Kara's daughter."

* * *

**To be continued…**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe.

* * *

**Wing and a Prayer  
Part 12**

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

A raptor went flying across the room and fell to the metal floor with a loud echoing clang. She moved away from her position at the war table and picked up the object. It rested in her hands for a moment as she recalled her time in flight school. Sharon had memories of a family, of growing up with parents, making friends throughout the years and of learning to fly. But none of it was real. Those memories were all borrowed from another named Boomer. The only real things she had in life were Helo and Hera. Of the two she just had one left, and she planned to see him again.

Sharon sat the raptor back on the table and reconfigured the ships as she observed the old man. His head was bowed in defeat and she knew he needed a reason to keep going. "We need a better plan," she stated the obvious. "We can't just go in and storm the place if we want to get those launch keys." She paused for a second but finally decided to tell him about the idea that had been forming in her head. "We need to blend in."

Adama finally looked up at her with tired eyes. "What does that mean?"

She took a deep breath and dug in. "I've been thinking about it for a while, and I think I need to go to the surface alone at first. I'm the only one who can slip in without being noticed," Sharon declared.

He swallowed a lump in his throat as he stood tall again. Believing her and trusting her to help them come up with a rescue plan, those were one thing. Letting her down to the planet on her own was a whole other story that he had serious doubts about. "It's a risk," he spoke again. "To you," he tried to cover his unease.

"And to you," she wasn't stupid. Sharon could read him well enough to know that he was worried about her betraying them. "Risk is what we do as officers of the Colonial fleet, sir. It's our job." She stood there before him, proudly wearing her uniform. Sharon had been sworn in as an officer again and had no plans to squander away the second chance she'd been given.

The lieutenant's rank insignia on her uniform stared back at him. He was still contemplating the ins and outs of her new plan when his thoughts were cut off by the sound of alarms blaring. _"Set condition one throughout the fleet. All hands to battle stations,"_ a voice rang overhead. _"All hands to battle stations."_ Adama motioned for the woman to follow him as they quickly made their way toward command.

There was a familiar commotion alight in CIC when they arrived just minutes later. His people scrambled around the room and Adama was proud to know that they could still pull together after a long year of rest. "Report!" he ordered, moving to the center of the action.

"Sir, one ship has just jumped into dradis range. Configuration still unknown at this time," a female officer replied. Adama knew her name and knew that she was good at her job, but he still couldn't help wishing for his best officers to be back. He longed for the days when Saul was at his side and Lieutenant Gaeta was the first to relay all important information. Now the two of them, along with countless others, were trapped on a planet that he couldn't figure out how to breech.

"Have the Cylons found us again?" Adama asked, instantly looking to Sharon for an answer.

She could only shrug. "I don't know," her reply was honest.

He took her at her word, but their trust issues were still in the testing phase. "They must be transponding some sort of signal," the words were more a demand than a statement as he watched the red blip move across the screen in front of him. He needed answers before he could give orders.

"It's not… I'm not sure what it is, sir," the woman replied.

"I need a better answer than that!" Adama growled, his frustration growing. He turned to another officer. "Spool up the FTL and get the fleet ready to jump!" he shouted commands around CIC, getting his people to move faster than usual. "Dualla, is there any chatter, any communications at all out there?" he had dim hopes of the ship being friendly, a lone vessel that had somehow managed to get off New Caprica.

Her head shook a negative response. "I'm not picking up anything… yet," she kept trying different channels.

"What the frak?" the female officer spoke up again. "Sir, the signal they're transponding is now showing as Colonial but…"

His face was still stern, set for disappointment rather than success, as he heard the trepidation in her tone. "But what, lieutenant?"

"Sir, it's being piggybacked on top of another signal that I've never seen before, but… there's Colonial wording encoded in the signal that reads simply as… Earth."

Silence befell the room as everyone within hearing range digested the statement that had just been made. Adama felt torn as he tried to make a decision. He finally believed that his son had truly been to Earth, but there was still too much of a risk that it could be a trick. "Load forward cannons and open all weapon ports. I don't know what's going on out there but until we figure it out, I want them to see that we mean business."

"Sir, I think you just got their attention," Dee spoke up a minute after his orders were carried out. "I'm picking up something, you won't believe it," she informed him as she turned the comm. link to the overhead speakers and allowed the voice she was hearing to play out across the room.

"_Galactica, this is Lieutenant Karl C. Agathon. I'm aboard the UESA ship Jupiter on a friendly mission… repeat, this is lieutenant Aga…"_

Adama's stomach jumped into his throat as he eyed Sharon. The woman's face was lit up by a smile that seemed completely natural. The old man momentarily forgot any knowledge of her being part machine. Her emotions were more than what any mechanic could program. He knew they had to come from some deeper source.

"Frak the niceties, Helo." Another voice boomed over the comm., causing the old man's heart to skip a beat. "Admiral, this is Starbuck. Do not fire, I repeat, do not fire. If you destroy this ship, General Mason is going to be really pissed at me."

The admiral's lips curled into a smile of his own, one that rivaled the Cylon's in its boundless relief. He closed both eyes and did his very best to keep tears from falling. For weeks he'd been making plans and going about the motions of trying to form a rescue mission. All the while, doubts had eaten away at his soul. He'd been hoping for one small break, one little sign that would show him the way. Kara's voice was that hope.

He looked to the tactical officer at his right. "Is that ship small enough to be brought aboard?"

"Just barely, sir," the man replied, going over the schematic layout readings on his screen. "I think she should be able to fit in one of the upper docking slips," he concluded.

"_She'll fit,"_ Starbuck spoke up again. _"I made sure of that,"_ she added with a note of smugness.

Adama could hear the cockiness of her tone and for once he was grateful of it. But he was still on guard. "Starbuck, proceed with docking. If your ship makes one wrong move…"

"_You'll shoot first and ask questions later," _she nearly laughed with relief at the sound of his cautious voice. _"First, there's something you should know…"_ her voice trailed off as CIC jumped to action again.

"Dradis contact!" a male officer to his right shouted.

The woman behind him reported further. "Admiral, two more vessels have just jumped into range," she paused a second. "They're echoing the same signal as Starbuck's ship," she confirmed, setting the room slightly more at ease.

"_That's what I was trying to explain,"_ Kara was heard overhead. _"I had two Vipers out scouting the area."_

The old man's curiosity was instantly peeked. He knew that the four of them had disappeared with only one Raptor and no Vipers. Sharon had mentioned the creation of the first Earth Raptor and that Kara had been in the process of a Viper design. He couldn't imagine how she'd succeeded in that venture. "What Vipers?" he queried.

"_It's a surprise, one you'll like." _

He could picture the smile on her face as she replied. "We'll see about that," Adama remained wary. "If you and lieutenant Agathon aren't flying those birds then who is?"

"_The pilot's are two Earth citizens. But don't worry, they know what they're doing and they'll hit the trap. I trained them myself. Jupiter out,"_ she cut the connection.

"If Starbuck trained them, we _should_ worry," Adama caught the words from someone further behind him. The statement was followed by a few soft trickles of laughter as CIC became filled with docking orders.

The Earth ship drew closer and Adama and Sharon watched the dradis intently for a short time as they each mulled over their thoughts on recent events. Sharon regarded the old man and tried to decipher his feelings. But failing that, she decided to ask outright. "Do you think this is another Cylon trick?"

There was no hesitation in his reply. "No," he spoke with confidence. "But those ships are still unknown to us and I intend to take every precaution necessary," Adama made himself clear.

She nodded in understanding, trying to remain at attention. But her thoughts couldn't help keep slipping to the fact that Helo was just within reach. "Sir, request permission to meet them on the flight deck."

"Request granted," he agreed. "I'm going with you."

**xxx**

Kara made her way down the steps from the upper deck. She was weary after nearly two and half weeks in transit. Five adults and a baby confined to very close quarters had taken its toll on all of them. Once she'd had no problem sharing a bunk room, but Kara had grown accustomed to having her own room with the baby in their house on Earth, even if it was just a small space itself.

Despite the long journey, though, there was a smile on her face as she set foot on Galactica's flight deck again after a year and a half. It all still looked the same, the ships, the people and even the sounds. It was like coming home. Though Kara knew she wouldn't truly be home until she was wrapped safe in Lee's arms again.

The familiar sights enveloped her and brought back a whole host of memories. Standing on the deck made it hard to believe that she'd actually been gone at all. Her time away on Earth suddenly felt like a dream. But as she looked over her shoulder, reality came to face her again. Helo brought up the rear of their small group, taking more time as he maneuvered the steps with a baby in one arm; a child who had been born on Earth. Her child. That reality made it all worth while.

"Captain, we though you were dead," Galen Tyrol was the first one there to greet her. He and Cally had been aboard Galactica to visit Cottle just as the Cylons had found them at New Caprica. In some ways he was relived that they'd been spared from the hell of a Cylon occupation, mostly for his newborn son's sake. But some days he was sorry he wasn't down there helping his friends fight.

Starbuck took two steps forward then reached out and pulled the man close, planting a big wet kiss firmly on his lips. She pulled back a second later and laughed out loud as she noted his look of utter confusion. "Sorry, chief," she continued to chuckle. "Just keeping a promise I made a while back," Kara didn't give any more explanation than that.

Helo stood at her side, grinning as he recalled the day that promise had been made. He honestly hadn't been sure that they'd ever end up back on Galactica after that fateful trip. But he was glad to have been proven wrong as familiar faces swam around him, reminding him that Galactica had been home for so many years. His eyes searched the deck for one face in particular as he gently bounced his charge up and down.

"And who is this?" Tyrol looked at the child that Helo was holding.

"That's my daughter," Kara supplied. There was a clear air of pride in her announcement.

The chief looked surprised again. "Huh, who would have ever thought that the two of you would have a kid," he looked to Helo and then at the captain again. It was all very odd, not even knowing where they'd been. There were rumors going around the ship that they'd been to Earth and that Sharon knew the way back. But none of it had been confirmed by the man at the top.

Kara's laughter again filled the deck. "Helo is not her father," she promptly set the man straight.

"Hey, you say it like that would be a bad thing," Karl felt slightly hurt by her quickness to dismiss him. His thoughts again drifted to Hera and the chance to be a real father that had been ripped from him too soon. He knew Kara's daughter wasn't his but being her second caregiver for six months had helped him mourn the loss of his own child.

She felt a little bad for her snap remark. "You know I didn't mean it like that. It's just," she looked past him and across the deck. "I think she might have a problem with it," Kara nodded toward the woman who was coming toward them. Starbuck quickly pulled her daughter out of Helo's arms, fearing the child would be smothered by the embrace she saw coming.

Sharon hated how emotional she felt as she slowly made her way to Helo. As soon as they made contact she buried her head against his shoulder and actually felt a tear fall. It was a very Human weakness to show such affection, but for a moment she decided not to care. "I love you," Helo whispered in her ear before pulling back to get a better look at her. Sharon returned the endearment and their lips met in a kiss that spoke equally of the long separation that they'd endured.

Starbuck smiled. Her feelings toward the Cylon woman were still a bit mixed but she was happy for Karl's sake that Sharon had made it back safely. She couldn't help glance around the deck, searching blindly for her own happy reunion. But the only Adama she spotted was the Admiral as he came to stand in front of her. He reached a hand out to her, cupping her cheek. His serious face slowly morphed into a grin.

The old man leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. When he stepped back, his smile faded all too quickly. "I thought you were dead."

"So I've heard," Kara wasn't sure what to say. She'd always been a bit tongue tied when it came to the old man. He'd always been like a father to her and, as she looked down at her daughter, Kara realized that they were finally a real family. But there was just one person missing. "Where is Lee?" she asked.

Adama opened and closed his mouth, his brow furrowed and his jaw set hard as he contemplated the best course of action. He was thankful when the difficult chore of explaining Lee's absence was aborted by the Chief's voice. The man shooed them all away as he cleared the deck to make room for two Vipers unlike any they'd seen before.

"Damn, Captain," the chief whistled appreciatively as he circled one of the ships. "This thing is… impressive."

Kara grinned, knowing it was quite a complement coming for Tyrol. But she couldn't help the sick feeling growing in the pit of her stomach as she watched Adama take a few steps away from her. "Captain Thrace designed the basic prototype but many Earth engineers were instrumental in the Viper Mark E's final construction." It was Lieutenant Shepard who shared that information as he climbed down the ladder of his Viper and came to join them at Jun's ship.

The young Earth pilot continued on, rambling off facts as he followed Tyrol around. "He's a talker," Helo spoke up, recalling how they'd all been a bit daunted by Shepard's penchant to babble on at length. It had been a long trip.

"I can't believe you're here," Sharon changed the subject. "How did you find us?"

"We backtracked from our original jump coordinates, like you and Lee," Helo offered explanations as Kara and the Admiral remained at a stand still. "When we came to the end of the line we found evidence of a major nuclear explosion so we searched the area. We found a planet not far from that location but it was crawling with Cylons. So we got away as fast as possible, just chose a jump point at random," he looked to his friend. "Seems Kara picked another winner," Helo concluded.

"But why did you leave Earth in the first place?" Sharon looked to Helo and then Starbuck.

Kara scoffed, trying to shrug off the old man's quiet behavior. "Maybe because you and Lee were late for dinner," she retorted. "I swear I could kill him for leaving me there so long to play diplomat," she joked. But a moment later she realized that they'd all gone silent after her comment.

The baby squirmed in her arms and Kara shifted the girl to her left shoulder. One hand went to the child's back as Kara sought out the Admiral's eyes. He wasn't looking at her directly. That wasn't like him. On top of everything else, it made her chest tighten and her stomach lurch. "We should talk," Adama finally broke the silence, looking through Kara more than at her.

Helo glanced over at Sharon, seeking an answer as he too noticed the tension in Adama's stance. She shook her head, letting him know it wasn't a good time to talk just yet. "Lieutenant Valeri, I'd like you to stay with our guests," the old man hadn't even been introduced yet but he figured they'd have time for that later. The look on Kara's face told him that she needed answers. He did too as he eyed the child in her arms.

"Yes, sir," Sharon agreed, promptly leading Helo toward the spot where the others had gathered around one of the Vipers.

Adama escorted Kara off the flight deck and to his quarters. Neither one of them spoke a word as they weaved down familiar corridors. Once inside, they sat down on his sofa. Pale lamp light illuminated the space as he watched her with the baby. The girl curled up in the crook of Kara's arm and took one of her mother's fingers to gnaw on. "Are you really here or am I just dreaming?" he asked.

She chuckled. "In your wildest dreams, did you ever see me coming back with a kid?"

"No," he shook his head, marveling at the child in her arms. "She's Lee's," his words were not a question as he closely regarded the child. She looked so much like his son at that age; it was almost like he'd traveled back in time. "It's all true, the two of you were on Earth together and this child is…" he trailed off, still mulling through his thoughts on Lee and Kara being together in such a way.

Kara nodded as she shifted the baby and rolled up her sleeve to reveal the tattoo on her left arm. "We're as good as married from where I stand," she could tell he recognized the design. Looking back to her daughter she smiled again. "Her name is Joey," she held the girl up toward the old man and whispered in her daughter's ear. "Joey, this is Admiral Adama. But I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you called him gramps."

The old man's stubborn heart finally melted. "Lieutenant Valari was telling the truth. All this time we could have been…" he trailed off, realizing that _what-if_ scenarios were a waste of time. Instead he decided to focus on what was right in front of him. "May I?" he made an indication of taking the child from her. Kara happily obliged and watched as the two of them met for the first time. She'd hoped for Lee to meet his daughter first, but seeing the old man with her was nearly as good.

Thoughts of Lee, and his very obvious absence, plagued her again. "Sir, where is…" she wasn't able to complete the question as Adama had started to ask something a split second before her.

"You named my granddaughter, Joey?" by now the girl was snuggled up in the old man's arms, eyelids growing heavy as she was lulled by Galactica's gentle hum and her grandfather's heartbeat.

Kara momentarily let her question hang. "I almost forgot," she reached inside her pants pocket and pulled the lighter out. Her thumb caressed its metal shell one last time before handing it back to its rightful owner. "This belongs to you," she pressed it into Adama's free hand. "Lee gave it to me before he left Earth. I looked at that name so many times; I guess it just stuck in my head. And with that dominate male Adama gene, I swore she'd be a boy," Kara stroked her daughter's cheek.

He grinned. "Leave it to Kara Thrace to screw that up," the old man teased.

"Everyone has a skill," she replied.

"She's beautiful," he turned serious again as he watched the child sleep, listening to the soft puff of breath that escaped her rosebud lips. Every rise and fall of her tiny chest was a miracle. She was the life that had been missing from his great ship for so long. She was the life that had been missing from his heart. "She seems happy, content."

"She was born away from all of this," Kara noted.

His tone grew sad, thinking about all the lives that had been lost over the years. "Maybe you should have kept her away, far from this war."

The thought had crossed Kara's mind a time or two. "You know, I didn't want to be a mother," she sighed, hating to revisit those thoughts. "And some days I'm still not sure what to do with her. But some days… I'll catch her looking at me and it's like, it's like she sees me as the only person in the universe of importance, and I feel…"

"You feel a tug at your heart," Adama interrupted as he looked into her eyes. "It's an ache and happiness all rolled into one. And all you want is to do your best to give her everything she needs," he couldn't help the tear that slipped from one eye. "But you feel like your best will never be good enough."

Kara felt the sting of tears prick at her eyes too as she nodded. "I used to put myself on the line for this fleet; I went out there so many times not carrying if I came back. I was willing to die for the people, for you and for Lee and every survivor. Mostly it was because I didn't have anything to come back to. There were so many worthy reasons in my head to die, but I didn't have anything to live for."

"Until now," he guessed.

"Until now," Kara nodded. "And you were right about wanting to give her everything. I want her to have the life I didn't, which is why I came back." She took a deep breath before finally getting her question out. "Admiral, where is Lee?"

The old man knew he couldn't avoid it any longer. She was a smart girl and he had no doubt that she knew something was not right. They both knew that if Lee were anywhere within reach, he would have already been there to greet her.

"He's on the planet we call New Caprica…" Adama started out with the easiest words first.

**xxx**

Lee was so used to the routine that he practically felt the second blow even before it had landed. His few relaxing weeks had come to a sudden end. If he could muster the energy to laugh he would have. The idea of spending several weeks locked up in a gilded Cylon cage with a two year old was not exactly most people's definition of relaxing. But at least the torture had been halted, until now.

Blood trickled from a split lip as he watched the hooded man come at him again. Lee had to wonder how his own people had turned on them to help the Cylons. It seemed unfathomable. Except that he understood the Cylons had probably given them little choice in the matter. He imagined they had used members of their family to elicit cooperation. Lee knew from experience as he looked up to see little Kasey in Leoben's arms.

Kasey was as sweet an innocent as any child Lee had ever known. She also looked a lot like Kara, but the fact remained that Lee had no evidence other than the word of a Cylon to confirm the girl being Kara's daughter. And he didn't believe it. He knew how the Cylons weaved their lies with a measure of truth. He believed that the twisted story Leoben had told him about taking one of Kara's ovaries on Caprica was true. But Kasey clearly remembered a mother, and though it could have been a surrogate as Leoben insisted, Lee had his doubts.

But all the proof in the worlds, one way or the other, didn't really matter. He couldn't stop wanting to protect the child even if he'd tried. No one deserved such treatment, to be locked up against their will; especially not a child who'd never hurt a soul. Lee took a third hit, this one in the stomach. He doubled over as he remembered a night just about three days after Kasey had come to stay with him.

_Lee was roused from a restless sleep by a noise he couldn't quite discern. He rolled on to his back and stared up at the dark ceiling. The sofa had become his as he allowed Kasey to take the comfy bed. Lee was used to harder surfaces anyhow so it wasn't a big deal. The sound came again, slightly louder the second time._

_He sat up and swung his legs over, placing bare feet against the cool floor. When he heard it a third time he stood and followed it until he was at Kasey's side. The little girl wasn't tucked in bed as he had left her earlier. Rather, she had positioned herself in the corner of the room, curled up in a ball as she cried softly._

_There was hesitation in his touch as he reached out to her. But he couldn't stand the sight or the pitiful sound. "Kasey," he called to her, wondering for the first time if that was indeed her real name or a new moniker that the Cylons had slapped upon her. "It's okay," he tried to sooth the child, one hand going to her back._

_It was a lie, Lee thought as he carefully gathered the child into his arms and walked her back to the bed. Nothing about their whole situation was okay by any means. But he knew enough from experience with his own father that parents told little lies to scab over the things that were beyond their control._

"_I don't know what you want; I don't know what to do," Lee felt helpless as he crawled into the bed beside her. Kasey snuggled into his side, not seeming to care who was beside her; knowing only that she was not alone._

"_Sad," she spoke her first coherent word through the sobs. "Mommy sing," the girl looked up at him with questioning eyes._

_Realization dawned. "When you're sad your mommy sings to you," Lee whispered the words._

"_Lee, sing?" her tiny voice pleaded._

_He shook his head. "I don't know how to sing," Lee insisted._

"_Please."_

_Lee's heart tightened in his chest. His mind was already so confused by everything that had happened in the past few days, not to mention the entire year before as he'd struggled to regain his memories of Kara and Earth. On top of all that, Kasey had drugged up reminders of the past before the Cylon's attack on their home worlds. The more time he spent with her, the more he thought about Gianni and the child she'd been carrying._

_There was no way to know if that child had ever been born, if he or she had a chance at life before it had been snatched away by the Cylons bombs. He'd walked away without another word because he'd been scared, because he'd been a coward. Before the worlds had ended, Lee had never known what it meant to fight for anything. It had taken nearly losing everything again to realize the value of his soul. Of all people, it had been Kara who'd renewed his faith in life. _

_And it was her voice that rang in his head still. "Frak you, Lee Adama! Frak you for making me feel something that I never wanted to feel again."_

_He sat there for a long time, trying to remember the lullabies his mother had sung to him and Zak. Still, all he could hear in his head was Kara's half-drunk voice, singing some old Earth war song. The words suddenly popped out at him and he did his best to set them to some semblance of a tune for the child's sake._

"_What a show, what a fight. Boys, we really hit our target for tonight. How we sing as we limp through the air," he looked down at the girl and saw her eyelids were growing heavier. "Look below, there's our field over there. Though there's one motor gone, we can still carry on."_

_Lee glanced at her again and was pleased to find that she was asleep. Her little chest moving and down, small puffs of breath inhaled and exhaled through the nose and mouth. Life carrying on even in the darkest of hours. "We can still carry on," he whispered again._

He felt the punches ease off and carefully opened his eyes again. They were swollen and sore, as was his lip. And his stomach ached with a fiery pain that made his head swim. Lee watched the NCP officer retreat up the stairs and heard the metal door slam shut. Leoben moved closer and set Kasey onto her feet. The Cylon crouched down in front of Lee.

"Where is Kara Thrace?" he asked.

"I don't know," Lee whispered to himself.

"What was that?" Leoben pushed, cocking his head to one side.

Kasey went to Lee and sat beside him, putting a small hand against his back. It was a return of the favor that he had done for her that night, offering a comfort that he'd been unsure of at first. "Lee, sing," her tiny voice spoke of unwavering hope. She smiled at him, so innocent and confident that a song could make everything right again. "Carry on," she reminded him.

Lee felt the pain fade as he nodded. The pressure of something against his left ankle brought the previous night back into focus as he remembered what he'd taken from their meal trays. He looked to Kasey, keeping her distracted as he reached for the item. "Though there's one motor gone, we can still carry on," he joined the girl in song.

"Where is Kara Thrace?!" Leoben watched them, not understanding the bond that they had formed. Not knowing how his plan had somehow backfired on him.

A smile graced Lee's features. He wouldn't answer the same as he had before. He wouldn't say he didn't know where Kara was. The Cylon was too smart to fall for that lie again. So Lee drew the man in. He spoke the truth so softly that Leoben had to get within inches to hear. "You'll never know where Kara is," Lee whispered. "Because I'll never tell you." In one swift movement he took his weapon and embedded it into the Cylon's chest.

Lee released his hold on the fork as he quickly turned Kasey from the scene and took her up in his arms. He stood over the man's fallen body and watched a dark pool of blood spread over the carpet. The acrid smell of it briefly filled his nostrils with doubt. Death for the Cylon would not be permanent. He'd be back again.

"Carry on," Kasey sang again as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Survival was the bond that united them. "Carry on," Lee agreed.

**xxx**

Adama laid out the basics of their plan, concluding with one shocking fact. "Sharon will go to the surface and obtain the launch keys." No one spoke against his word, though a few had their doubts about using the Cylon. The old man proceeded, knowing time was now of the essence. He reached into his desk drawer to retrieve two boxes then went to Kara first. "I need you on Pegasus," he informed her.

"With all due respect, sir," Kara wasn't thrilled at the idea. "I'd rather be on planet helping our people than playing CAG to a bunch of…"

"I don't want you on Pegasus as CAG," he stopped her. "I need you to unite that ship," he held a dark blue box out to her and opened it to reveal the Commander's insignia inside. "I need you in charge over there. I need someone I can trust," he thrust the item into her hand without waiting for an answer. Adama turned and faced Karl, placing the other box in the man's hand. "I'd like you there with her, Captain."

"I'm honored, sir," Helo gratefully took the promotion and smiled over his shoulder where he could see Sharon standing.

"The two of you have already proven to be quite a team," Adama tried to rally them, looking in particular to the young woman who had been like a daughter for so long. "Starbuck, I need you to take the fleet and get away from here. We'll designate a rendezvous spot and…"

"Not a chance in hell, sir," Kara refused. She snapped the box shut and held it out toward him. "If that's what this is all about, you can take your commander's rank and shove it," she was still letting his news about Lee cloud her vision of their ultimate goal. Kara was angry and never had been very good at venting such feelings. "I didn't travel all the way back here just to scurry off and hide while Lee and thousands of others still need my help. I'm not leaving, sir."

"You will do as I say, _Commander_," he stressed the last word. His voice took on a slightly softer tone as he looked over at the child that was asleep across the room. "I wouldn't ask if I had any other choice," Adama let her know. "What you've done on Earth, it's exceptional work, to say the least. And I want you here just as much as you want to stay, but Earth needs you more. The fleet needs you alive," he insisted. "You've done your job, Commander. Now it's time for me to do mine," he echoed the words Sharon had spoken days before.

Kara stood there pondering his words for a long moment, knowing them to be true. "I'm not happy about this," she made the fact clear.

"I didn't expect you to be," he acknowledged. "But at least my granddaughter will be safe," the old man silently included Kara in that hope as well. It would be the only thing to get him through battle. That, and the hope that Lee was alive and would join Kara and Joey after the fight. He knew those two hopes were pushing a lifetime limit, so he didn't leave any for himself.

She held on to the new rank but said nothing more as she went to collect her daughter. Kara walked back to the flight deck, going over everything in her mind. The position of command took hold quicker than she could have imagined as she tried to figure out who would go where as far as her three Earth pilots were concerned. But even as plans formed in her head, her focus remained on Lee and the old man's words. By the time Helo caught up with her inside Jupiter, things had cemented in her mind.

"What did you promise him?" she asked.

"Excuse me?"

"I know him, Helo. I know him very well," Kara eyed her friend. "And I imagine the conversation after I left went something along the lines of him making you promise to get me away from this battle by any means necessary."

He looked guilty even before he spoke. "I didn't promise that, not in so many words." But the old man had asked it of him, of that she was correct.

Kara snorted. "Good."

"But Starbuck," Helo shook his head, thinking about Sharon going to the surface and he and Kara taking off in an opposite direction again. He hated it but he knew what was right. Sometimes his oath to duty came at the detriment of his heart, but that's the price he'd learned to pay for loving a Cylon. Having to constantly prove his loyalty. "You have to know it's our duty to get the fleet to safety. You promised Mason and Commander Yuri that you'd be back. You said yourself that protecting Earth was key to all of this."

"I know!" she shouted in frustration. "Don't you think I know all that Helo? I know it here," Kara pointed to her head. Her hand moved to rest open-palmed over her heart. "But I don't know it here," she confessed. "All I know here is Lee and Joey," her fingers balled into a fist that thumped heavily against her chest. "It's all or nothing now. And frak it, Helo… I've settled for nothing my whole life."

Her words cut through him and he knew there was nothing he could say to change her mind. His only real duty was to follow her lead. "Then I guess we go for _all_ this time."

Kara nodded. "I'm glad we understand each other."

"I assume you have a plan?"

"Something like that," she shrugged.

* * *

**To be continued…**

**NOTE:** Original WWII song lyrics by Harold Adamson and Jimmie McHugh.  
My continued thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing!


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe.

Thank you all again for your awesome readership and comments. Sorry this part took a while, but sometimes you can't escape life :) Enjoy!

* * *

**Wing and a Prayer  
**Part 13

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

Galactica's flight deck was nearly bursting at the seams from all the activity. Every duty-worthy ship was being rolled out in anticipation of the impending fight to get their people off of New Caprica. Sharon and her team were already on the ground meeting with the resistance and cementing their part of the occupied people's escape. And Helo was on Pegasus coordinating the last details of the fleet's jump to a safe position away from the fray.

Kara stood to the sidelines, gently resting a protective hand atop her daughter's head. The girl was strapped securely against her chest as Starbuck watched the pilots going over last minute checks on their ships. Lee's Mark VII had been painted over with Costanza's name and call sign. And her old Viper had been assigned to Galactica's current CAG, another of her former nuggets, Kat. Kara new they needed all available ships but it was still hard to see. She hated to admit what an old war-horse it made her feel like to know her students were now the hotshot Viper jocks.

Adama approached from the left and Kara had to resist the urge to laugh as he stood beside her. If she was thinking of herself as old, she didn't want to imagine what that made the old man. He gave a small nod of acknowledgment and smiled down at the baby who seemed to sleep her way through most situations, the current one being no exception. It was still a bit odd for him, seeing Starbuck with the girl, but he'd quickly come to realize that one rarely went anywhere without the other.

Admiral and Commander turned to face the Earth pilots under Kara's charge. "_Sneak_ will fly Jupiter, she'll go with Pegasus and the rest of the fleet," Kara started off as she eyed Tereshkova. "Jupiter is a good ship but she wasn't designed for battle." Kara thought Earth was a bit of a contradiction for that fact. They were still waging war around their planet, yet when it came to space flight they believed in a peaceful, united front. Therefore, very little in the way of armament had been supplied to the vessel.

She looked to the two men next. "_Jabber_ and _Hawk_ will fly with Galactica's blue squadron," Kara announced. Shepard and Mohri stood at attention beside Tereshkova. All three of them looked slightly less like scared children as they had quickly became entangled in the Colonial fight.

"Do you think they're ready for that?" Adama questioned her.

"It doesn't matter what I think," she replied. Starbuck gave the young officers a confident nod. "No one is ever really ready for battle. They asked to be included and they know the risk." Despite Shepard's chatty nature, Mohri's quietness and Tereshkova's bluntness, all of them were good pilots. She'd take them into battle at her side without a second thought.

Adama nodded his approval and watched Kara interact with her pilots. "Jabber, Hawk," she faced them. The old man could see the men's respect for her authority shine through in the way they stood, relaxed but at the ready. "You know the mission; you've pledged yourself to this fight. Make us proud… make _Earth_ proud," Kara intoned, not forgetting to include the thirteenth colony. They were just as much a part of the war now as the colonials.

"Yes, sir," the pilots both saluted her and she returned the gesture. They headed off toward their ships and Sneak quietly took a few small steps back, sensing that Starbuck and the Admiral had words to exchange in private.

Kara grinned warily as she watched the two men join Hotdog and Kat. "That was, odd," she tugged at her collar, still feeling uncomfortable in her new attire. It was the same dress uniform she'd worn a hundred times over, having found it locked in a storage chest that the admiral had saved. Yet that new gold insignia seemed to change everything.

"You'll get used to it." Adama tried to sound reassuring, though he'd been utterly confounded by command at first too. It wasn't meant to be easy or understood.

"I doubt it," Kara rolled her eyes. But she grew serious again as her thoughts inevitably turned to Lee. "Admiral," there was a slight hesitation in her words. "Are we okay?" she finally let the question fall.

He cocked his head to one side. "I don't understand."

"I mean, are you okay with Lee and I?" Kara ventured further. "I know there are things in the past that… I just thought maybe…" she never had trouble expressing herself except around the Adama men, the Admiral in particular. His approval meant more to her than just about anything.

"You thought I'd be upset," he surmised. A sigh escaped his lips as he thought back to the last time Zak had been mentioned between them. She hadn't said his name this time but he was smart enough to gather that that was where her thoughts had settled.

She nodded. "I just want my daughter to have a family. Like I told you before, I want her to have what I never did."

"You have a family." The admiral was quick to reply. He looked her in the eye as he spoke. "You _are_ family, Kara," the use of her first name was rare, but he needed her to know once and for all what she meant to him. "You have been for a long time," he assured her, knowing it was time to set the past aside. "When you're part of a family, you take the good with the bad. You fight and maybe you grow apart, but if you're strong enough, you weather any storm."

Kara heard forgiveness in his words and felt she didn't deserve it, especially knowing the plan in her head to go against his command. A thank you hung at the tip of her tongue but all that she could manage was a barely noticeable nod and a thin smile.

"Commander," he resumed admiral-mode and stood up straighter. He didn't need the verbal thank you from her, it was written in her eyes. "If Galactica is lost in this fight, you'll be the highest ranking officer in the fleet. It will be your duty to lead them the rest of the way."

Starbuck suddenly noticed a look in his eyes that could not be missed. She tried to shake off the foreboding feeling. "Well, sir," she faced him with utmost seriousness. "_If_ that were to happen, my first act as highest ranking officer will be to put Lee in command. It was always meant to be his anyway." She shrugged. "All I ever wanted was to fly a Viper," Kara informed him. She took a deep breath. "But since we're on the subject," her voice grew husky with emotion. "I'm not losing you." It was the closest she'd ever come to telling the old man she loved him.

The words hit him hard. He wore an equally serious mask, even though his heart had caught in his throat. "Since we're on the subject," Adama echoed her words. His head shook as he regarded her. "You are so much more than a Viper pilot." The pride in his voice was clear as he stood at attention and saluted her.

Kara tried to keep her right hand from shaking as she brought it up and returned the salute. There was nothing more to be said between them after that. She stood quietly as he leaned in and kissed his granddaughter on the head. Then he turned and left the deck immediately. She and Joey followed Sneak to the Raptor that would take them back to Pegasus. The new Commander took one long, last look around before ducking inside the ship.

**xxx**

Sharon tried to stomp down her growing trepidation. She didn't know why she was so on edge but she couldn't seem to shake the feeling that something big was about to occur, not that everything that had already happened wasn't big. She'd met up with Sam and the others, a first outing that had gotten a little heated by enemy fire. Eventually she'd filled them in on Galactica's plan and had gone straight to her task of getting the launch keys.

Everything had run rather smoothly after that, aside from an awkward run in with one of the D'Anna models in the complex. The words she'd spoken still echoed in Sharon's head. _"Hera is alive."_

She shook the recent memory from her thoughts and focused back on Sam as he spoke of their final plans. He ran a finger over a diagram of the encampment. "As soon as the signal is given, we head to the pyramid field, gather weapons and then make for the complex." Sam laid out the simple arrangement. Several heads nodded as they all gathered at the tent's exit.

Sam picked up the map and folded it up into a small square. He noticed Sharon staring intently in his direction. "Do you think that's where Lee is being held?" she questioned.

"If he's still alive, he'll be there," Sam was half-way confident. It was hard to imagine anyone lasting four months in a Cylon prison. Roslin, Tigh and the others had only been taken and questioned for a short time. None of them knew why Lee had been detained for so long and some of them were left to conclude that he was dead. But Sam had heard from Sharon that Kara was back with the fleet. He knew that they had to at least try to find Lee, for her sake.

"Then I'm going with you," she insisted, thinking that getting Adama's son back to him would go a long way in regaining his full trust.

Sam nodded. "Suite yourself, just stay alert and be ready for… anything."

"I will be."

**xxx**

Kara hadn't stayed aboard Pegasus long, just enough time to settle her daughter in, organize the fleet, get them jumped safely out of harms way and for her to get back into the seat of a Viper. She sat now, hovering on the dark side of the planet called New Caprica. Stars sprinkled the inky black that surrounded her as she gazed down at cumulous clouds and continental formations. From so far up it looked like a peaceful little world, much like that of Earth. But she knew that Cylons occupied the land and that somewhere down there Lee was waiting for her.

Helo had questioned her about a plan, but the only thing she knew for sure was that she was going to set down on the planet, put a hole in any Cylon that got in her way and find Lee. _Fight them till I can't any longer_. Those thoughts drifted on the edge of her consciousness as a flash of light caught her attention.

Her progress toward the surface was halted for a moment. She maneuvered through the stars just enough to get Galactica within visual range. A small gasp escaped her lips; she'd never seen the old ship look so worn. It appeared that Galactica's jump into the atmosphere had done plenty of damage. Her heart tightened further as two Cylon basestars winked into existence, flanking the battlestar. She bit down hard on her bottom lip as two more basestars quickly joined the first wave.

The memory of words spoken on a distant planet echoed in her head_. "If you don't come back, I will hunt you down Lee Adama."_ She heard Lee's response just as clear. _"I'll count on it." _Starbuck tried to turn away from the battle and focus again on the planet. Her sole goal of finding Lee and getting him back to the fleet was most important. At least that's what she kept trying to tell herself.

She caught another brief glimpse of the nearby battle and it drew her in again. Galactica was perched right in the middle of a nasty fire fight that she was ill prepared for, not that they ever had been before. Kara closed her eyes and recalled the look on Adama's face as he'd last spoken to her. His eyes haunted her. They'd already looked so defeated.

_"It will be up to you to lead them."_

_"I'm not losing you."_

Kara looked to the planet again and gritted her teeth; blood drew from her lip as the war inside her head continued. Lee needed her. Joey needed her father. The fleet needed to be protected. Galactica needed help. Earth was counting on their help. The thoughts all crushed down upon her as she floated among the stars. The voices of General Mason and Admiral Adama mixed in her mind.

"And if you go and don't come back, if the Cylon's show up and we don't have your leadership, we die anyway."

"You are so much more than a Viper pilot."

"Frak!" her helmet made a loud thud against the back of the viper's seat as Kara realized what needed to be done. "FRAKKK!" she screamed into the void of space just before making one of the hardest decisions of her life.

Starbuck swung her Viper away from the planet, quickly so that she couldn't see the surface any longer. Her hand rested on the FTL drive. It was already spooled and ready. "I'm sorry, Lee," the words were a painful whisper against her lips as space folded in on itself and swallowed the ship.

Her last thought was that maybe she could still save them all.

**xxx**

Lee tried to sit up but felt his head sway one way as his stomach lurched in a completely different direction. He fell back to his side, curled up against the hard wall of another small Cylon holding cell. He'd been transferred back from the plush apartment but didn't know how long he'd been anywhere. He had no idea the last time they'd fed him or even come to check on him. But most importantly, he didn't know where Kasey was.

Somewhere along the way, Lee had grown rather attached to the child. He had a feeling it was mostly due to their circumstances, both being locked away with no other companionship. If he'd been trapped in a cell with a rock he might have just as well struck up a long lasting relationship with it. That thought caused him to ponder his sanity as he tried to sit up again. He had a feeling it was growing thinner by the second.

He'd been alone too long, of that he was certain. Kara's voice had slowly faded from his mind. Once, her words had helped spurn him on toward the next day and the one after that. When that handhold had begun to slip, Kasey was at his side with her infectious smile and sweet voice. She'd taken to singing to him when he'd lost all hope. Now there was neither to depend on, just the darkness and a longing in his heart.

As that last pang of doubt washed over Lee, a narrow pool of light crossed over his face from the door being opened slowly. His woozy stomach calmed momentarily as he focused on the figure that had come to greet him. Leoben stood alone in the shadows, arms hanging limp at his sides. Lee had been hoping to at least find Kasey wrapped up in them. "Where is she?" the dryness in his throat caused his voice to falter.

The Cylon made no move further into the room, nor did he reply. "Where is Kasey? What have you done to her?" Lee demanded.

Leoben cracked a small smile. "Kasey has been calling for you," he finally let his prisoner know. "She keeps asking for you to sing that ridiculous song. She's frightened and alone," he paused a moment, letting the other man digest those words. "You can stop her pain, Lee Adama. You have that power. Is that what you want?"

"Yes," Lee nodded groggily even as his voice grew stronger. He had to finally admit that girl had become more than just a companion to get him through the rough spots. Lee cared very much for her and worried about her safety. "Where is she, what have you done to her?"

Sardonic laugher filled the small space. Leoben shook his head, peering down at Lee's broken form. "It's not so much fun on the other side, is it?" he closed the door and walked in a circle around Lee. "I'll make you a deal. I give you Kasey and all you have to do is answer my question."

"No deal," Lee spat, knowing what the question was.

"Then I leave you here to die." Leoben concluded, moving back toward the door.

Lee closed his eyes, trying to summon Kara back into his thoughts, trying to find Kasey's happy sing-song tone in the depths of his memory. "You won't kill me. If you do, your answers die with me," he replied, confidence renewed.

There was a scoff from the Cylon. "You haven't given us any answers, so it's really no loss to us," Leoben countered. He bent over, leaning down toward Lee's hunched body. "Just tell me where Kara Thrace is and you can have whatever you want. Kasey, your freedom… you can take the girl and raise her as your own. Just tell me," he implored.

Again Lee made a last ditch effort to find strength in Kara and Kasey's words. But when none were forthcoming, he wondered why they had both abandoned him. And he felt his strength slip. "She's not here," he whispered, feeling him self begin to cave. It was like an avalanche; once the first rock had skittered off the edge, the others were hard to stop. "Kara's on Earth…" the words fell frighteningly sudden from his lips.

At that very second, the door burst open with a loud crash that reverberated through the walls. Lee heard several other explosions in the distance. Then the sound of gunfire was so close that he could practically taste the residue of it in his mouth. When he looked back to where Leoben had been standing, he found the Cylon crumpled in a bloody heap upon the floor.

Lee's mind was confused but he felt a small burst of strength within and got to his knees. His hope was renewed that Kara had finally fulfilled her promise to come after him. But as he turned tired eyes toward the door, Lee was somewhat surprised by the sight that greeted him.

"It's me," Sharon looked him in the eye, her hands held up in a defensive manner.

"I know," Lee finally nodded; amazed that he was actually able to identify her out of all the other identical clones.

Sam's head popped into the room and he quickly surveyed the situation. He nodded his approval of Sharon's good work then went toward Lee. "We need to get out of here, fast," he needlessly informed them.

"Kasey, I have to find Kasey," Lee's weary voice called out as Sam lifted him up to his feet.

Sharon and Sam shared a concerned glance but both of them shrugged off his words, thinking he had mistakenly meant to say Kara's name. "Come on," Sharon helped Sam heft Lee's bulk out the door and down the hall. "The sooner we get the frak off this planet, the better." She was still trying to outrun the odd feeling that had been plaguing her ever since she'd set foot on the foreign soil.

**xxx**

"Galactica!" Kara's voice carried over the comm. She'd barely wasted any time in landing and getting to CIC aboard Pegasus before she'd ordered them to jump back to New Caprica. Her flight suit was still on, pulled down and tied at her waste in a haphazard knot. Sweat glistened off her skin as she directed her battlestar further into the heart of a Cylon fire fight, guns blazing. "Get your FTL up and running then jump back to join the fleet. There's nothing more you can do out here," she insisted.

Starbuck heard a muddled affirmative response from Galactica and caught something unintelligible from the old man in the background. Kara had a feeling he was either cussing her out or thanking her. But she had no real time to think about it. "We won't last long in there," Helo's voice brought her around to the matter at hand.

She monitored the situation, watching the red blips on her screen. Two of the four Cylon ships were already down, which meant they were still out numbered and outgunned. A plan swiftly took hold and she tried to reason out if she could make it happen. Her fingers flew over star charts and she scrawled a few things down atop the table with a grease pen. She figured there was only one real way to find out.

Kara turned to Helo. "Captain, I want all non essential personal off this ship!" her order flew over the growing chaos in CIC. The ship rocked hard to port and they both held tight to the war table as the bank of doors behind them gave way to the force of a direct hit. Glass shattered and sparks arched overhead as critical systems were damaged.

Helo wasn't sure what to make of her order. He'd been surprised by her return, and the only explanation he'd gotten out of her was that there'd been a change of plan. Then she'd ordered him to launch all vipers and have them surround the fleet. Helo had known at that moment that they were going back to help Galactica, even against Adama's orders. He'd been compliant with her decision to go after Lee herself, but to risk the Pegasus and the rest of the fleet was an entirely different story.

He didn't readily comply with her demand. "What are you doing, Starbuck?"

"Mr. Hoshi, how many colonials ships are still planet-side?" Kara asked, not answering her friend.

The man looked over a few readings. "Hard to say exactly," he replied. "I'm reading at least a dozen colonial signals down there, but there could be more," he reported.

"Then we need to buy some time," she mused. "Mr. Hoshi, can you make it look like our FTL has been taken out?" she asked.

The man found her request a bit odd but had learned to follow orders without question. "I could have the secondary power coil taken offline. It will appear to any enemy that we've lost jump capabilities. It's the easiest conduit to reconnect."

"Do it," she agreed.

"Starbuck!" Helo grabbed her arm, making sure she was paying attention. "What are you doing?" he questioned again.

She shrugged out of his hold. "I need to give more ships a chance to get off the planet," Kara finally replied. "Don't worry, I have a plan," she grinned. But the false bravado faded as she implored Helo with her eyes. "I need you to go now, take Joey and get off this ship."

"Not without you," he shook his head, planting his feet. "It's just a ship; you don't need to go down with it."

"I don't plan to, _Captain_," her words were strong but not angry. "I don't plan on losing her at all. But I won't risk you and the others on my harebrained plan. Promise me, Helo… if anything happens, you'll get her to Lee. And if he's… then she's yours. Please, Karl," she pleaded with him to go without further words.

Helo hated it but he gave a curt nod, knowing there was no way to argue against getting the baby to safety. "I expect to see you at the other end of this fight, _Commander_," he replied, finally giving the order for all personnel to abandon ship.

Kara flashed him a quick smile as she continued to try and burry her feeling for Lee under a guise of duty to the fleet and Earth. "I expect to be there. Now go!" she turned away abruptly, also not able to acknowledge the fact that she might never see him or her daughter again. "Mr. Hoshi?" Kara looked over at the man with questioning eyes, getting back to business.

"I'm staying, sir," he stood by quietly, even as the ship rattled and rocked with the continued bombardment of Cylon fire. A few others in CIC stayed on as well, still firing weapons and seeing that the shuttle's escaped and jumped to safety.

"Then make yourself useful and calculate this jump," she tapped on the table's surface where she'd written down her basic plan.

He looked it over then glanced up at his CO again. "Sir, that's," the officer shook his head as he looked over the coordinates a second time. "This jump is barely out of safe range. FTL is meant for long range jumps. We could end up caught in our own jump wake… this is, insane," he concluded.

"Seems to be a prerequisite for commanding this beast," Kara quipped. "I know the risks. Can you do it?"

"I think so," he remained cool, despite his doubts. "But it will take some time to…"

"You have about thirty seconds," she let him know, keeping a close watch on the Cylon ship's proximity. Her fingers drummed nervously against the table as she leaned against it for support. "Twenty seconds…" Kara called out as one Cylon ship made a move to close in on them. They'd taken her crippled ship bait and were coming in for the kill. She got confirmation that all Pegasus shuttle's had jumped away safely and sent a silent thank you to the Gods. "Ten seconds…" Kara maintained count as the second basestar moved in toward them. There were both about equal distant on either side of Pegasus.

An alarm went off, blaring over the already noisy surroundings. "Basestar on our port side is launching nukes!" someone shouted out.

"Five…" Kara began the final countdown as Hoshi made his speedy reconnect and spun up their FTL drive. "Four… three…"

Another alarm sounded. "Basestar to our starboard side has just launched two nukes!"

Kara heard the news and grinned. "One… Jump!"

Pegasus collapsed in on itself, folding into space and causing all their stomachs to churn with familiar wooziness. Kara's world turned on its side and then straightened out just as quickly as it had all started. "What's our position?!" she yelled out to anyone who was within hearing range.

"We're right on top of them," Hoshi replied, mildly surprised that they weren't all dead.

"Basestar nukes have just hit… each other!" a voice behind them shouted, disbelief and unadulterated delight in her tone.

Starbuck knew the fight wasn't over just yet. "All weapons, fire at will!" she shouted to her remaining crew. "Take those fraking bastards out of my sky," she growled to no one in particular.

The two basestars fell rather easily after that, especially as they'd been unable to stop their own collision course toward each other with Pegasus out of the way. And Pegasus had ideal firing position above their enemy which helped cement the victory. There was cheering in CIC as Hoshi took a moment to eye his commanding officer with curiosity.

"What?" she asked.

"You never said, two," the serious man informed her.

Kara's deep belly laugh echoed in all their ears for a brief moment after that. Then an alarm screamed out again. Two more Cylon basestars jumped in a few hundred kilometers off their port side. Her laughter swiftly caught high in her throat. They should have known better than to believe it would be so easy. She gave the inevitable order, knowing they had no more time for tricks.

A final prayer for Lee's life was sent out just as they jumped to safety.

**xxx**

New Caprica was eerily quiet as Sharon and Sam led Lee out of the complex. It was a shell of the hope it had first represented to the surviving colonial fleet. The reminders of war and a mass exodus greeted them at every turn, bodies lying lifeless in the sand, buildings aglow from fires caused by bombs, and the tattered remains of tents that had once been thought of as home to so many.

Lee was nearly unconscious from exhaustion as he was drug along more quickly than his legs could carry him. But a small sound in the distance caught his attention and adrenaline coursed through his veins once more. "Kasey?" he whispered the name.

Sam turned his head toward the man, thinking he had said Kara's name again. "Kara's up there," he pointed toward the sky.

Lee shook his head in disagreement, shrugging off his helpers with more strength than he should have had. He heard the call again and moved toward the sound, making his way through rows of tents with Sharon and Sam close at his side. He suddenly stopped short, causing them all to take a step back.

A large group of fallen men and women greeted them. Blank stares of death looked up at blue skies. Blood seeped from their wounds. It dried in strands of hair and mixed with the grains of sand underneath them. Sharon gulped back the odd sensation that had been plaguing her all day as she too heard a noise coming from within the mass of dead. "It sounds like…"

"Kasey?" Lee was already ahead of her, kneeing down beside a woman he didn't take notice of at first. He turned the body over and stared down at the child that was bundled against the cool weather. She was smaller than Kasey and had dark hair and eyes. Her needful cries filled his ears just the same as little Kasey's had that first night that he'd comforted her.

"Isis?" Sam glanced at the child and then over at the supine woman. "Maya," He closed his eyes for a moment, recalling how important it had been to Laura Roslin to get the child to safety.

"You know this child?" Sharon asked, inexplicable drawn toward the girl. Her hand reached out and hovered above the baby's head.

"Yes, she's…"

"No," Lee cut Sam off from further comment. He was the first to lift the child up. He held her at arms length and looked into Sharon's questioning eyes. A flash of memory bombarded him, something that he hadn't completely registered upon first hearing. _"I understand that keeping the Cylon child safe was important but telling parents their child is dead when it's not…". _They'd been his father's words.

"Her name isn't Isis," Lee handed the girl over to Sharon.

As soon as the baby touched Sharon's hands, the crying ceased and she knew. She just knew. "My God," her eyes locked with Lee's. "Hera," there was no question in her tone. Heeding Sam's warning; she'd been ready for anything. But she never could have expected such an unbelievable turn of events. From the ashes of war, her child was reborn to her. She cradled her daughter close.

Sam was bewildered by the events taking place, all the while keeping track of the ships that were winking out overhead. Their numbers were growing fewer and fewer. He knew if they hoped to be aboard one of them they needed to leave sooner, rather than later. "Whatever her name is, we need to…"

He didn't have a chance to finish as Lee fled the scene, the same name on his lips as before. "Kasey." He stumbled amazingly fast as he headed back toward the main complex.

"Lee!" Sharon stood and called after him. The baby was completely settled in her arms, all her tears having been spent. Sharon was about to take a step in the direction he had gone off in when Sam stopped her.

"I'll go after him," the resistance fighter insisted. He looked down at the girl and thought that every child deserved a chance at life. "Get her away from this," he instructed. Sharon took his words to heart, wanting nothing more than to protect her daughter at all costs. She headed toward the shipyards, looking over her shoulder to see Sam set off after Lee in the opposite direction.

**xxx**

"Commander!"

Adama's voice boomed over the hectic din on his flight deck. Kara stepped off the shuttle and made her way toward the old man even as she surveyed the area in her peripheral vision. All Raptors had been directed to Galactica after their escape off planet. The old man wanted them all in one place in order to be counted and processed before leaving for placement on other ships.

She stood at attention as he stepped into her path. "What was that stunt you just pulled out there? I ordered you to stay with the fleet!" he growled in her face.

"Well, sir… sometimes you have to roll the hard six," Starbuck-flare resounded in her response.

He didn't know whether to laugh or yell at her. "You took one hell of a risk, Commander," he kept his hard stance for a moment longer but his voice had already calmed considerably. After several silent moments passed between them, he couldn't resist pulling her close. "Thank you," he whispered in her ear as they embraced.

Kara stepped away first and glanced around the deck again. "How did Earth's pilots fare?" she asked, mostly in an attempt to keep her mind off thoughts of Lee. But she bit her bottom lip as she caught the solemn look on the old man's face.

"Hawk was lost in the fight," he informed her straight off, knowing she could handle the news. "Hotdog had nothing but praise for the man, said he took out a whole group of metal heads before he was shot down," Adama added.

She was proud, despite the loss. "And Jabber?"

The old man nodded. "Understandably upset, but none the worse for wear."

Her head shook knowingly. "First loss is always a bitch."

"And the second," he added.

"And the third," she cracked the smallest smile, in an attempt to ford the other emotions. Both of them knew it never got easier, you just learned to bury it deeper. Her heart was beating out of control as she looked around the chaotic scene again. Refugees crowded the space, making it nearly impossible to pick out anyone. Adama put a supportive hand to her shoulder. They were both hoping to find Lee somewhere in the crowd.

Helo and Joey turned up first. Karl figured he'd find Kara aboard Galactica rather than Pegasus. He knew she'd be looking for Lee. Kara wasted no time taking the little girl in her arms and kissing ever spare inch of her exposed skin. Adama didn't think he'd ever seen anything so beautiful before in his life. The delighted squeals that erupted from his granddaughter were music to the old man's ears. The only thing better would be to play witness to his son's first meeting with the child.

Karl searched the area too, heart in his stomach as he hoped to once again find Sharon safe. He was the first to spot her coming off a Raptor two paces to their right. They all circled around to greet her and immediately noticed that she wasn't alone. Karl looked at the child in her arms and somehow he knew even before the words were out of her mouth. "She's alive," it was all Sharon whispered before the girl was gently passed to her father.

Adama watched the scene with a lump in his throat. He stood his ground as Sharon left the child with Helo and came to approach him. "You knew, you had to have known," her words weren't cold but rather, filled with disappointed. "We're even," she announced. "It's your turn now to earn _my_ trust." With that, she rejoined her daughter and Helo.

Kara was surprised, to say the least. She was about to question him on the matter when something caught her eye across the room. Sam Anders stepped down from a Raptor and was immediately engulfed in a hug by a woman she recalled seeing in his resistant cell on Caprica. There was no jealousy in her heart over the obviously joyful reunion, at least not because she wished to be with the Pyramid player herself. But her heart did pang, because she was still searching in vain for her own happy ending.

Just as the thoughts left her, she nearly dropped Joey to the floor of the deck. "Kara?" the old man was at her side, taking the girl in his arms. He finally turned to see what had turned her face white. There he spotted his son being helped down from a Raptor by Tyrol. His breath hitched for a moment of stunned silence.

Lee felt shaky as he stepped off the ship, still confused by the blow to his head that Sam had administered to get him off the planet. He was dirty and sweaty, clothed in the same tanks and pants that he'd been wearing when the Cylons first captured him. He tried to focus his eyes in the bright light of Galactica's flight bay. It took him a few minutes but he was finally able to make something out in the distance, which he quickly realized was a figure moving toward him.

At last her voice came back to sooth his tortured mind. "_I still have faith in the Gods and their plan for us… So, the answer to your proposal is yes."_ He closed his eyes and reopened them. She was still there. "She looks so real," Lee didn't realize he'd whispered the words aloud until the chief looked over at him.

"Excuse me, sir?" Tyrol stood beside him. He followed the Major's eyes and smiled. "Oh," he nodded with realization. "She's real alright, even flew the _Beast_ into that Cylon fur-ball and managed to pull her back out."

Apollo didn't register the words as he stood there unmoving. His head swam from a sea of Cylon abuse and neglect. His stomach churned from lack of food and anxious anticipation. His heart ached for the child he hadn't been able to find. But his vision became clearer as he watched Starbuck's hasty jog across the expanse that lay between them. She didn't stop or slow down as she neared him.

Those on deck, who knew their story well, stopped to watch as two identical tattoos became one crushing image of enduring love. "I missed you," she couldn't prevent one happy tear from rolling down her check. It pressed against his shoulder as Kara rested her head in the familiar spot and closed her eyes, vowing to never let go.

"I missed you too," his words were sincere but faint.

Kara felt him tremble and pulled back an inch to look him over. "Lee?" she finally noticed his horrible appearance and worry clouded her joy. His legs wobbled and she shifted her weight to try and hold him up. "Lee…" her tone grew in frustration as she watched his eyes roll into the back of his head. "Lee!" she shouted, sending chills down the spines of all who'd gathered around them.

He slipped heavily from Kara's grasp and fell to the floor at her feet.

**

* * *

**

To be continued…


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe.

* * *

**Wing and a Prayer  
Part 14**

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

Kara paced the floor of Galactica's life-station with Joey slung over her left arm. A fine stream of drool ran down the girl's chin as she gnawed contently on her mother's forearm, seemingly undaunted by the bustling surroundings. A steady wave of refugees was constantly moving around the space, being checked over for minor injuries and illness. Kara didn't take much notice of her slobber-covered arm or the others in the room as her mind wandered elsewhere.

It had been nearly twenty-four hours since she had first seen Lee again, after over a year. And about twenty-four hours and thirty seconds since he'd passed out in front of her. Cottle had told her and the Admiral that Lee was in no danger of dying; he'd just been seriously malnourished, dehydrated and apparently used as a Cylon punching bag. All of which lent little comfort to either of them.

The doc had gone on at length about numerous injuries, most of which had healed, except for a few cracked ribs and several bruises. They'd administered fluids and Lee had been sleeping the whole time, allowing his body to rejuvenate. The old man was currently off attending to a few essential fleet duties at the moment. They'd already jumped once since their initial escape rendezvous after fleeing New Caprica. Soon they'd need to map out their route to Earth. But Kara couldn't focus on anything until she knew Lee was all right. At the Admiral's insistence, she taken Joey to his quarters and gotten her to sleep most of the nightshift. Kara hadn't slept much herself, though. Her nerves were still too frayed.

"There's been no change, Commander," Cottle informed her as he passed by on his way to check another patient. "We'll let you know when he wakes up," he tried not to sound annoyed, knowing the hell they'd both been through. "I'd suggest you go wait somewhere else, but I know that's not likely to happen. So, at least sit down," he waved a hand toward a nearby chair. "You're making all my nurses dizzy, and probably that kid of yours too." He tapped Joey on the head for emphasis.

Starbuck rolled her eyes at him as he stalked off across the room. She was still too antsy to sit. Helo and Sharon walked through the door, catching her attention and creating a much needed distraction. Hera was in Helo's arms and he flashed Kara a wide grin as the three of them came over to greet her.

"Can you believe it?" he shook his head in disbelief. "All of us back under one roof again, plus these two," Karl laughed as he tenderly bounced his daughter. She seemed content in his care, though Sharon hovered very close.

"I'm happy for you," Kara managed a small smile but it failed to brighten her eyes as thoughts of Lee continued to plague her.

"Still no word?" Sharon asked, looking to the curtain which hid Lee from their view.

Kara shook her head. "Cottle says he just needs rest."

"Lee's a tough little fraker," Helo pointed out. "He'll be fine," he reached out and squeezed Kara's shoulder reassuringly. "We need to get this one checked out," he glanced down at Hera. They'd kept her close all through the night, neither one sleeping as they couldn't bear to take their eyes off her. Come morning they realized they needed to know if their little girl was alright. "We'll stop back by on the way out," Karl let her know as they headed toward a cubicle a few spaces down.

Kara shifted the baby to her shoulder and glanced around the area. Cottle was busy looking over Hera himself, and most of the nurses were occupied, so she quietly maneuvered her way behind Lee's curtain. Kara stopped at the foot of his bed and watched him for a long time, noticing the steady rise and fall of his chest. She was thankful for each breath.

She stepped forward a little and reached down, taking his right hand in hers and steadying Joey's head against the crook of her neck. "That's your daddy, kid," Kara whispered in her daughter's ear. The girl made a small unintelligible gurgling sound in reply. "I guess he doesn't look like much at the moment, but trust me, he's going to be a great dad. He'll love you so much," the words were barely out of her mouth when she felt movement from Lee.

Kara gently squeezed his hand and tried to clamp down her excitement as she watched his eyelids flutter and then slowly open. Groggy blue eyes greeted her and she couldn't help the happy smile that formed on her lips. For all the fight she'd put up against falling in love with him, it was hard to imagine not having Lee in her life. She didn't even want to think about it.

Lee looked around, trying to get his bearings. "Kara?" his senses quickly became alert. Leaving the planet, landing on Galactica and standing on the flight deck in Kara's arms all came crashing back to memory. He sat up, actually feeling a hundred times better than he had after first arriving on the old battlestar. Which wasn't saying too much considering he'd felt a thousand times worse than normal after four months of Cylon incarceration.

"I should get Cottle," the words escaped her lips but she made no move to leave him. "Gods, I missed you," Kara cursed the pathetic tone of her voice, still not leaving his side.

He tried to give her some sort of reassurance that he was fine, but words failed him as his eyes caught on the baby in her embrace. Lee felt his stomach twist into a knot of painful memory. Sam's blow to the head had halted his efforts to go back and find Kasey. He didn't know if she'd made it off the planet or not.

"Lee, I know this is going to be a bit of a surprise," Kara let go of his hand and rested it on Joey's back, having noticed that his eyes were focused on the girl. "She came as quite a surprise to me too," a tilt of the head was used to indicate the baby in her arms. "This is your daughter." She decided to take the direct approach.

Silence reigned for a moment that stretched into eternity. "I don't understand…" he finally spoke up, furrowed eyebrows marred any happiness that might have been trying to poke through. "Why would you… after what we talked about," Lee recalled their agreement to not have kids.

Kara felt her stomach tighten as he spoke. She certainly hadn't expected him to jump for joy over the news, but she'd at least expected some degree of delight or, at the very least, acceptance. "I didn't plan this," she grew defensive. "I know _we_ didn't plan this, but…"

"I never wanted to be a father!" the words came screaming from his lips as he was unable to control his emotions. "You knew that, Kara." He looked at the back of the baby's head and all he could think about was Kasey, alone on New Caprica, or trapped with Leoben somewhere. He'd left her, left her to die. He was no good to anyone, especially innocent children. "Get out of here," he demanded. "Just leave me alone."

Kara's jaw clenched and her teeth gnashed as she seethed out the words. "I will, but only for her sake, because she doesn't deserve your cruel words," she held the girl tighter against her shoulder. "And if I stay I'll be too tempted to knock you unconscious again," with that, she stormed off.

Helo watched Kara flee the room. He had heard most of the conversation. The whole of life-station had heard Lee's shouting. By the time he reached Lee's bed he found the man standing, pulling tubes out of his hand and arm. Karl didn't care how fragile Lee still looked. He was angry. "You're lucky Kara had that kid of yours in her arms. I, on the other hand," Helo shrugged and held out his hands. "Kid free at the moment," he balled his right hand into a fist and punching Lee in the jaw.

There was a loud clatter as Lee stumbled backward from the force. "HEY!" Cottle shouted as he and Sharon both come running. The doc stepped between the two men and glanced over at his patient who had fallen back against the bed. "Good place for you!" Cottle spat. "And you," he pushed Helo back with one hand. "Learn how to control your temper," he warned.

Helo stepped back further and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. He looked over Cottle's shoulder at Lee. "I warned you if you ever hurt her, I'd hurt you," he spoke up again. "But I'm sorry I just did that," he waved a hand at Lee's face. "I know you've probably been through hell," Karl acknowledged. "Well, you need to know that all of this hasn't exactly been a walk in the park for Kara either."

Karl continued. "I was with her through all of it. I know just how close she came to not having that little girl. It took her a long time to feel like she could handle being a mother," he explained in a calmer voice. "And you just turned all her insecurities back on like a switch," Helo paused. "I'm not telling you all this to make you feel guilty, we both know that you had to come back here. I just want you to know that she loves you. So, don't be a frak-head about all this." He turned to Sharon and his daughter and left without another word.

Lee silently digested the words as Cottle stayed behind and checked on his jaw. "Doesn't look broken, but you can add another bruise to the long list," he diagnosed.

"I need to get out of here," Lee's tone was flat, deflated.

"You need rest and medication, you're staying." Cottle returned.

"No, I won't be locked up any more," Lee's eyes darted around the space. It wasn't even close to a Cylon cell but he was feeling trapped by the bed, the machines, even the walls seemed to be closing in on him. "Just give me whatever I need and I'll take it, but I'm not staying."

"Fine, but sit down a moment," Cottle reluctantly acquiesced. "I want to at least re-wrap those ribs and then I'll get you some meds. And you'll have to promise me you will rest," he warned.

"Sure, whatever," Lee absently agreed to the orders.

Cottle sighed, knowing his request was probably falling on deaf ears.

**xxx**

Kara's shoulders were hunched and her eyes skimmed the ground as she plowed her way through Galactica. Everyone stepped out of her way as she passed, reminding her of those days long ago when she'd jogged up and down the ship as if she owned it. Back then she'd known her place and her job, things had been much simpler. So much of her life had changed so quickly.

As her attention continued to drift, someone barreled into her. Kara swiveled on her left heel in an attempt to take the hit against her shoulder and spare the little girl in her arms from being smashed in the collision. "Why don't you watch where the frak you're going," she growled, settling on both feet and checking to make sure Joey was okay.

"I could ask the same of you," a huffy male voice replied. "You were the one who…" he paused, finally taking a second to look at the person he'd nearly trampled. "Kara?" his voice instantly softened.

The owner of that voice suddenly became familiar. She glanced up. "Sam?" Kara shook her head, nearly laughing. "I didn't realize it was you."

Sam chuckled. "Obviously," he noted. "I'm guessing your mind was somewhere else." He'd been on hand to witness the reunion between Lee and Kara on the flight deck earlier. The memory of her anguished voice, as she'd called Lee's name, still lingered in Sam's head. Now, as he looked into her red and slightly swollen eyes, he felt his heart sink. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kara pulled on a fake smile. "It's good to see you again," she added, trying to change the focus of the conversation.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sam wasn't convinced.

She instantly felt at ease around the man. He was a strong, quiet and comforting presence in her life. Even in the short time she'd come to know him, he'd managed to chip away a little of her armor. "It's just Lee," Kara tried to speak casually but found her voice falter. "He said some things that…" she clamed up again after that.

"Whatever it was I'm sure you can work it out," Sam replied with genuine confidence. "When we found him he was seriously out of it and I don't think I helped much by punching him and dragging him to the ship," he admitted. "He kept calling out for someone named Kasey. I thought he was talking about you at first, but…" Sam shrugged and looked down at the baby in Kara's arms. "She's not Kasey, is she?"

"No," Kara smiled as she glanced at her daughter. The little girl was the one thing that always managed to make her happy, even in the face of everything they'd been through. "This is Joey."

"Lee's kid," Sam observed. The words were not a question. "Looks like him."

Kara thought she heard something more than understanding in his tone. "Sam, about us…" she started.

"It was good while it lasted," he cut her off. "Look, Kara, being with you was great and maybe if things had turned out differently," he shrugged again, realizing it was silly to think about such things. "I think I always knew we couldn't be anything more than two people seeking a little solace in each others arms during a difficult time."

She nodded her agreement. "You were with someone on the flight deck yesterday," Kara hedged. "I saw you before Lee stepped off that Raptor. She was in your resistance cell on Caprica, Jane or something?"

"Jean," he corrected, a smile blooming at the corner of his lips as he uttered the name. That one expression told Kara everything she needed to know. "We've been through a lot together; somewhere along the line we turned into more than friends. I asked her to marry me shortly before the Cylons found New Caprica."

"I'm happy for you," Kara wasn't surprised that the words came out so sincere. She'd let go of Sam a long time ago on the shores of a make-shift ocean. But there was still guilt. "I'm sorry I never made it back, like I promised."

There was forgiveness in his eyes. "Others made it. They came for us because of you," Sam reached into his pocket and pulled out the dog-tag that she'd given him before leaving Caprica. "I think you should have this back," he handed it to her. The last bit of their brief relationship dangled on a cord between them.

Kara snorted as she took it in her left hand. "The other one is somewhere in a park on Earth," she smiled and held tight to the memory of that night, hoping Lee would come around again like he had then.

"He loves you," Sam's words broke her momentary reverie. It was almost as if he could sense what she was thinking. It wasn't too hard really. He knew that she'd never been very far from Lee's mind. Sam guessed it was the same for her in regard to Lee. "He loved you even when he couldn't remember where you were," he added. "He'll work it out, just give him some time."

She was touched. "Thank you," with those two words, their relationship as lovers was severed for good and the one as friends would hopefully last a lifetime. Joey squirmed in her arms and Kara gently swayed the girl back and forth. "I should be going; she needs to eat and take a nap and the old man is having half the refugee's shifted over to Pegasus." Burring herself in work and focusing on her daughter helped distract her. "I hope I see you around, Sammy."

"I hope so too," Sam bid her goodbye and they departed in opposite directions.

**xxx**

The old man pulled out of the hug. Renewed hope had settled comfortably in his chest upon laying eyes on his son again. He'd held on to Lee as long as possible, though trying to be gentle. The boy had felt so frail in his arms, reminding him just how close he'd come to losing Lee. Adama moved to his seat behind the desk and regarded his son for a moment. Word about the day's earlier events in life-station had traveled quickly around the ship.

"I don't know what to do," Lee finally revealed, sinking down into one of the chairs across from his father.

"You apologize," there was no hesitation in Adama's reply.

Lee sighed, shaking his head. "It's not that simple."

"Make it that simple," the old man countered. He took a deep breath. "I didn't get it right, Lee. I failed your mother as a husband. I failed you and your brother as a father. Zak died because of it and you nearly…"

"You can't blame yourself for Zak, that was an accident," Lee was somewhat happy of the distraction in topic.

"That's a nice thought, but it's not really true is it?" Adama shook his head. "The truth is… Kara, you, me…. we all contributed to his loss, but I was his father, his role model. And all I did was drill it into him, to both of you. Military service, being the best, failure was not an option."

"Dad, you need to let it go," Lee found it easier to give the advice than to take it.

"I know," the old man agreed. "And I have, for the most part," though, there would always be that small remainder of guilt no matter how many years passed. "Like I explained to Kara, if a family is strong enough, they can come through any war and live to tell the tale. It's a bit late for me, but you have a chance to get it right, Lee. I know you didn't plan all this for your life but this is how it happened."

He looked into his son's eyes. "Kara loves you so much that she took the risk of coming back here to find you, put her daughter in harm's way in the hopes of obtaining the missing part of her family. She battled those basestars to give more people a chance to get off the planet, namely you. Not to mention she gave birth to a child even though she doubted her abilities. And she carries that girl around with her like she's the most important person in the universe. It's because the child reminds her of you."

The old man could see his words were doing some good so he went in for the kill. "She loves you, Lee. If I had a chance at love like that again, there'd be nothing standing in my way from holding on to it."

There was still hesitation in his son's face. Adama got out of his seat and walked over to Lee. He looked down at the boy for a long moment wondering if he had been too rough with Lee as a child, wondering if he could have done it all better. In the end, he realized he'd done the best he'd known how at the time. And the best he knew now was to keep pushing. He pulled Lee's chair away from the desk and hauled the young man up onto his feet, shoving him toward the hatch. "Get out of here," he ordered. "I don't want to see you again until you've apologized to Kara."

A heavy clang signaled the door's closure. Lee stumbled into the hall, surprised and slightly angered by his father's actions. The old man hadn't even let him explain. But Lee realized he'd done exactly the same thing to Kara. The look in her eyes haunted him, the way she'd been pleading with him to just listen. And all he'd done was yell and shoved her away. He wasn't happy with himself over that behavior, but he still wasn't sure how to face the demons of doubt in his head.

He wandered aimlessly for a short time until he felt himself being pulled to Galactica's flight bay. Then Lee moved as if on autopilot, finding a shuttle that was destined for Pegasus. He boarded it with a group of refugees that were being transferred. When they landed and he stepped foot on Kara's ship, the fear and worry that had momentarily abated on the flight, churned into a solid rock that rested in the pit of his stomach.

The ship wasn't as familiar to him as Galactica but he knew his way around. He circled the same path several times as he worked up the courage to seek out Kara. But something continued to keep him at bay. The memory of a little girls face stopping him from going to his family. He recalled the sound of her happy laughter as she'd danced around him on New Caprica, and the sadness of her cries and the sweet singing tone of her unwavering voice.

"Lee, sing!" He shook his head and tried to keep the tears at bay as her voice continued to sound in his head. "Lee! Lee!" It became decidedly more difficult to block out when he looked up to find Kasey running toward him. Lee closed his eyes, trying to ward off the hallucination. But when he glanced down again he felt the soft weight of her against his legs.

"Up, Lee," Kasey held her arms toward him and stretched on her tip toes in a bouncy motion. "Pick me up!"

He didn't care if she was a dream or a figment of his imagination. Lee reached down and snatched her up, not minding that her little legs wrapped around his sore torso. He held her tight for a long moment, listening to her as she begged for him to sing. "Sing! Carry on?"

"Though there's one motor gone, we can still carry on," he happily obliged, not caring that anyone might find him singing to himself in the middle of an empty corridor if they happened by at that moment.

"I am so sorry," a woman's voice caused Lee to look away from the Kasey ghost in his arms. He spotted her as she neared, noting her average height, blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked tired but relieved as she stopped in front of him. "We were meant to be headed to the aft cargo bay with the others and she took off. I thought I'd lost her again," the woman was clearly upset. "I hope she hasn't bothered you."

Lee still felt a heavy weight in his arms and watched as Kasey smiled up at him again. "Not at all," he replied, finally starting to believe that the child was real.

Kasey looked over her shoulder. "Lee," she told the woman as she pointed to the man.

The blonde haired lady cocked her head. "Is your name really Lee?" she asked.

"Yes, Lee Adama," he answered.

The woman smiled contentedly. "I can't believe it. Kasey has been going on about you for days, ever since she got back from that Cylon prison. I kept thinking she was talking about that one model I'd heard about, Leoben."

The name sent chills down Lee's spine. "Who are you?" he finally asked.

She flushed with embarrassment. "I completely forgot…" she replied. "My name is Julia Brynn; I'm Kasey's mom."

"Are you sure?"

Julia thought it an odd question but she replied without hesitation. "Yes, I'm sure. When the Cylons took her I thought I'd never see her again. Then one day I came back to our tent and there she was, not a scratch on her. Some of the others said they'd seen a woman bring her back, one of the Cylon models with dark hair… I didn't ask too many questions. I was just so happy to have my little girl back," she explained.

Lee's heart broke and soared all at once, finally realizing that he was not dreaming. He had been sure all along that Kasey wasn't Kara's daughter. But he'd grown close to the child and had even entertained the thought of taking her with him off the planet, though he hadn't been able to find her. Now here she was, safe and in her mother's care. He was happy for her, if not a little sad for himself.

"I was with her," he spoke again, seeing the worry on Julia's face. Clearly she had been scared to death about what happened to her daughter. "We were both locked away by one of the Cylon models. But I kept her safe, for a while," he felt more confidant of the fact, seeing her now, alive and still her same happy self. "We sang," the words brought a smile to his face, the first genuine sign of relief washing over him. "She was safe with me."

The woman returned his smile. "I don't know how to thank you."

He kissed Kasey on the forehead and passed her over to Julia. "Just take care of her," Lee ran his hand over the girl's soft hair and flashed on the little head he'd seen resting on Kara's shoulder. Suddenly he wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch that soft hair as well. "You're very lucky to have such an amazing daughter." He told her. _And you're an idiot for letting Kara walk away with yours_. The thoughts screamed at him.

"Thank you," Julia glanced down the hall and then over her shoulder. "Do you happen to know how to get to the aft cargo bay?"

Lee nodded. "I'll show you." It was the least he could do, finally seeing Kasey to safety.

**xxx**

"You actually kicked him out?" Laura Roslin reclined in her seat aboard Colonial One. She'd retaken the ship just before leaving New Caprica. And she'd managed to wiggle her way back into the presidency with little protest from the people. They were crying out for proper leadership after the farce of Baltar's reign. They needed her strength, although, she wasn't feeling entirely strong at the moment. Maya's death weighed on her conscious as did those of several thousand other lost souls.

William Adama was positioned across from her. "I did," the old man sighed. "I think you know Lee's had a bit of a rough time. All of this business with Kara and his daughter was quite a shock to his already weak system. He's spent, physically and mentally. I don't think he hates her, though. They've just had a bit of a rocky re-entry."

She chuckled softly at his flying analogy, and grinned more broadly at the thought of him as a grandfather. "He's alive, she's alive… that's a good day in my book," Roslin replied.

"In mine too, a very good day," Adama agreed. There was a brief lag in conversation until they both spoke up at once.

"Bill…"

"Laura…"

Roslin leaned forward and clasped her hands over the small stack of papers upon the desk. "I guess we have to push our friendship aside now, as we've become Admiral and President again," she surmised, though she didn't want to. He'd come down to the planet often to visit after that first time on Founder's Day. And she'd become very fond of their time spent together.

"Actually, I was hoping that wouldn't be the case," Adama replied. "I fought my ass off in the hope of getting my son away from those Cylons, but I didn't just do it for him," he admitted.

"No," she shook her head. "You did it for the people, because they are yours to lead."

"_Ours_ to lead," the Admiral amended. "And I did it for you, too," he decided not to dance around the issue. He knew he was only alive because of Kara's valiant efforts, and he knew those had been performed more out of love than anything else, love for Lee, Joey and even himself. There was strength in love that he was finally allowing himself to accept. "I don't want to lose your friendship, Laura. It's too important to me. So, I hope we can find a way to relate as president and Admiral, as well as friends," he concluded.

"I hope so too," her smile was genuine.

"Unfortunately, as Admiral…" Adama rolled back into the command voice that he was famous for. "We have a few issues to discuss." His thoughts weighed heavily on Sharon and the route to Earth that they were about to take off upon.

**xxx**

Kara knelt beside the makeshift crib Adama had found for Joey. The little girl was still asleep, her nap stretching longer than usual. It had been an eventful few days for both of them. "I'm sorry your daddy is such a frak-head," Kara whispered. "I hope you don't hold that against him. I think he'll love you if he just gives himself a chance. Remember what a mess I was? But then I held you that first time and all the worry faded… for about thirty seconds," she chuckled. "Then I was scared shitless."

The soft sound of laughter filled her ears and Kara jumped to her feet. She'd forgotten about leaving her hatch open. There she found Lee standing in the doorway, watching her and looking much less angry than he had earlier. "I didn't mean to intrude," his smile faded. "The hatch was open and I…" Lee knew he couldn't keep making excuses for his behavior. "Kara, I'm sorry."

Silence followed. _So much for simple, dad,_ Lee thought. "Well… there's no yelling, you must really be pissed," he edged his way into the space, treading lightly.

"No," she finally spoke. "I'm not angry, I'm disappointed."

That cut through him like a knife, doing more damage to his soul than any Cylon torture. Suddenly, everything seeped out of him, like blood from an open wound. He told her all about his imprisonment and the Leoben model that was obsessed with her. "I took their beatings. I did it to protect you, Kara. Then one day he came to me with a child in his arms and he said she was yours. He said they'd taken one of your ovaries on Caprica and created a child."

"Oh Gods," She hadn't been expecting that.

"So that much is true," he didn't question, the answer was clear upon her face. "I won't even ask about that right now, but I want you to know that she's not your child. They lied about that part. But I still cared about her and then they took her away and they said she was alone, that she was scared. So I broke for them, I broke down for her sake."

She took a step toward him. "Lee, you don't have to…"

"Yes, I do. You need to know all of it Kara," he continued. "I thought she was dead," Lee choked on the words. "When Sam and Sharon showed up… when we got to Galactica, all I could think was that she was still down there, alone or with the Cylons. And it was because of me, my fault, my failure," he lamented.

Kara tried to go to him again but he took a step back. "That's not all; there was another child once, a child that I walked away from. I left its mother before he or she was ever born. I abandoned my child, Kara, because I was a coward." The admittance of that fact tore down the final barrier in his heart. He looked her in the eye. "I don't want to fail again, I don't want to hurt you or her," he glanced over at the sleeping baby.

"If you don't even try then you've already failed," she whispered.

Tears fell down his check. "I know… I know that now. I want to try, Kara. I do."

She couldn't stay away any longer, closing the gap between them in two strides. Her arms wrapped around him. "Someone once told me that we don't have to make the same mistakes our parents made," Kara reminded him. "He also said that if we can't even take a risk for love, then what the frak is the point?"

He smiled against her neck. "I love you." Lee buried his head against her shoulder and hung on.

"I love you too," Kara replied.

They stayed that way for a long time, just letting their bodies become reacquainted with one another. There were gentle caresses and soft kisses that helped mend their broken hearts. Lee looked to her and smiled again. "You know, if I recall correctly, you said we'd make our own mistakes."

Kara chuckled as she pulled away from him for a brief second. She went to her daughter, not caring that the girl was still asleep. There was something she couldn't put off any longer. She carried the girl over to where Lee was still standing. "Speaking of mistakes, I named her Joey Karla Adama," she introduced father to daughter for the first time. "Now, if that mistake doesn't get her beat up at school, I don't know what will," Kara grinned.

Lee took the baby into his arms and held his daughter for the first time. "Hello, Joey." He kissed the soft hair atop her head, smiling like an idiot. His hands were shaking and he felt like his heart was going to leap out of his chest. Lee was instantly in love. He looked to Kara again. "If she's anything like her mother, she'll be able to handle any kids who might try to pick on her."

She smiled, so happy to see the two of them together at last. "I want to do this, Lee… you, me and her. Mistakes and all," her voice grew serious. "I need to know you're going to be beside me."

He nodded. "I will be. I'm never leaving you again," Lee vowed.

**xxx**

_36 Hours Ago…_

The room was cavernous, dark and massive. In the center of the space, one small pool resided, flanked by two female figures. They attended to the male inside as he came back to life with a startled gasp of breath. "You're safe," the blonde woman intoned. "Do you remember what happened?" she asked.

Leoben looked around, spotting the dark haired woman to his right. He nodded his head as the memories came flooding back to him. "We lost the planet and many escaped," the eight informed him. "We'll have to start over again."

"Earth…" the word slid from his lips. "We'll start over again on Earth," Leoben recalled the last thing Lee Adama had spoken to him before being shot. He looked up at the two female Cylons and grinned like a happy child. "I believe the Colonial fleet knows where Earth is."

* * *

**To be continued…  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe.

**Note:** Sorry this part took so long. The weather has been nice so I've been enjoying the great outdoors. Too bad there are no computer outlets in trees! Anyhow, thank you all again for your reviews. I will be doing my best to wrap this journey up soon. I hope you all enjoy it to the end.

* * *

**Wing and a Prayer  
Part 15**

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

Even with a baby rousing him a few times during the middle of Pegasus' sleep cycle, Lee woke up feeling more rested than he had in months. New Caprica had provided him with a decent cot and even the sofa in Leoben's apartment-jail had been nice enough, but neither compared to the comfort of Kara's bunk aboard Pegasus. Lee had a feeling that it wasn't the bed that had helped him rest so well. It was being home.

He laid there a moment longer with his eyes closed. Pegasus was no home he'd ever known. He only considered it that at the moment because of Kara's presence. Caprica, Galactica and even Earth were all small parts of home that he carried with him. But he realized that home was more simply defined as being in her presence.

Lee rolled over and opened his eyes, hoping to still find her curled up beside him. Disappointment greeted him as he quickly realized that she was gone. He and Joey seemed to be alone. Lee didn't take it personally, knowing that a battlestar didn't run by itself, especially in a time of war. In place of Kara beside him, he found a note atop a familiar looking sketch book. He sat up, grasped the paper and read.

_Lee-_

_You better be around for all future events,  
__because I won't be pulling my punches again._

_-K_

He smiled, not doubting that she was serious. Considering how sore he still was, Lee planned to heed her warning. He opened to the first page and spotted the blue sun that he'd drawn. The memory of that day seemed like a lifetime ago, and he was touched that she'd saved it. Kara's multi-colored fish swam around on the page beside his sun. Then his breath hitched as he journeyed forward through the book. A vision of Kara with protruding stomach brought a tear to his eye. Several wrinkly faced baby images turned his sadness into laughter.

The rollercoaster of emotions was interrupted by the small cry of his daughter. The book was closed and he stood, making his way over to the crib where Joey lay squirming. Her bottom lip stuck out a little, reminding him of someone else. Kara had insisted that the girl looked just like him but he saw plenty of her in their child. Lee stood beside Joey's bed, leaning over. He felt much the same as he had when first faced with Kasey.

"I'm not sure what to do here," he let the child know. Her crying lessoned a little as she looked right up at him, big eyes shinning with tears. "Your mom had a while to get used to all this, so don't hate me if I mess up," he warned as he reached down and carefully managed to pick her up.

Lee stood with her at arm's length for a moment. He'd held her the night before but only briefly and with Kara at his side to make sure he didn't do anything wrong. He looked into her eyes and couldn't help but smile. "I'm sorry for what I said before, when your mom tried to introduce us that first time. I was upset and confused," he shook his head. "But those aren't very good excuses. Mostly, I was scared," he admitted.

Joey's good nature of the new man in her life lasted very briefly and her cries started up again, growing more frantic. Lee felt a bit frazzled at first but he pulled her closer and put her high up on his shoulder the way he'd seen Kara walk with her through the night-shift. He'd tried to help then but Kara had insisted he needed sleep. Lee didn't know how she did it, with so little sleep and a baby and now a battlestar to tend to.

"I can do this," he whispered words of encouragement to himself. "I can be a father, I can get it right the way my dad didn't," Lee was determined to follow the old man's orders. Joey cried louder.

"Shhh…" he walked faster and bounced the girl. It took him a while before the answer finally hit. Slowly he started to form the words of Kasey's favorite song, trying it out on his daughter.

Kara opened the hatch a few minutes later and stopped in her tracks as she watched the scene with equal parts amusement and love. Lee was singing, not very well, but he was singing. And Joey seemed to be mesmerized by his presence. The smile on Kara's face faltered as a sudden unexplainable sense of jealousy washed over her. She'd been Joey's sole parent since birth and the bond between them was strong. No one had ever loved her so unconditionally, not even Lee.

"I didn't mean to be gone so long," she made her presence known, slipping further into the room. "I thought she'd still be asleep by the time I got back. I can take her now," Kara offered.

Lee made no move to hand the baby over. "I think I managed all right."

He was nervous. Kara could see that in his eyes. She could also see that he was looking for her approval. "Yes, you did," her jealousy dissipated as fast as it has formed. A sense of gratefulness filled the void it left behind. This was what she'd been wanting all along, Lee at her side again; the three of them as a family. She kissed Lee softly on the lips and smiled as one of Joey's little hands reached out toward her. Even as her head rested comfortably against Lee's shoulder, Joey sought out her mother's comfort too. The girl clearly had room in her heart for both of them.

"_Action stations, action stations… All hands report for duty!"_

The alert went up before Kara even had time to loosen the buttons on her uniform tunic. _"All hands to action stations!"_ it continued to ring as she reluctantly edged her way toward the hatch, feeling the pull of duty run strong in her veins.

"There are clean diapers on the table," she pointed them out as she walked backwards. "And if she gets fussy again it's probably because she's hungry and there's…"

"A bottle in the refrigeration unit," Lee supplied. "I know. You went over all this twice last night." He was actually surprised he did remember, considering his state of mind ten hours ago had not been particularly alert. He looked down at the baby who wore a slightly distressed look on her face again. He figured the alarm claxons were not helping matters. "We'll be fine," he assured Kara, though he was not entirely convinced of the fact himself. Fatherhood was unlike any battle he'd ever faced before.

Kara nodded with a sad smile, hating to leave them both again so soon. "I'll be happy when you're well enough to take over command," she shouted over the noise, just before ducking out of the room.

Lee bounced the baby some more, letting Kara's words sink in for a moment. He recalled what she'd told him after they'd first touched down on Earth. Kara had mentioned something about the old man making him Commander of Pegasus. His father had repeated the idea after Lee had returned from Earth. But, as he looked into his daughter's eyes again, Lee wondered if he'd ever be ready for command. It was more than he could wrap his head around at the moment.

The girl scrunched up her nose just before letting go with a loud wail.

"Though it might be easier than this," he thought aloud as he tried again to calm his daughter.

**xxx**

Kara stepped foot in CIC just a few minutes after leaving quarter's. She quickly assessed the situation and found Hoshi steadfast at his duty station. Helo hadn't been back since they'd rescued the fleet. He was still with Sharon and Hera over on Galactica and she wasn't sure if he ever planned to return to Pegasus, not that she could blame the man. "Report," she ordered, pushing the thoughts from her mind and getting down to business.

"Cylon raiders, sir," Hoshi informed her. "Ten of them just appeared off the fleet's port side and they're moving in fast."

"Launch blue squadron," the commander shot instructions to one of the men behind her. "Keep red and gold on standby," the officer scrambled to follow her order as she faced Hoshi again. "Has Galactica launched Vipers yet?" she asked.

"Yes, sir," he nodded. "They already have their red squad on intercept course," Hoshi relayed.

"Put them on," she ordered the communications officer. Soon the room was filled with the sound of pilot chatter as they shuffled off to battle. Their camaraderie only served to cut through her. She still longed for the days were jumping into her viper was the duty she served in the fleet. Command was hard. She hated being left behind.

"Pegasus blue squad has launched and will join Galactica red in one minute," a female voice from behind called out, keeping them apprised of the situation.

"_Galactica, this is Kat, I have visual on Cylon raiders,"_ the CAG's voice carried across space. _"What are your orders?"_

"_Engage Cylons when in weapons range,"_ the admiral relayed. _"We're done playing games with them."_

Starbuck kept her distance from the communication, listening and monitoring the fight but letting the old man run the show. She stood, white knuckled, with her nose practically glued to the dradis screen as Galactica engaged the enemy followed closely by Pegasus vipers. They filled the tiny screen in blips of green and red.

"_Shit, these guys know how to fly,"_ Jabber had faced the Cylons for the first time just days ago and was still amazed by the speed of their craft and their unwavering pursuit.

"_Jabber, one's on your six. Juke right and let me in,"_ Hotdog instructed the rookie. _"I can take him out."_

"_Negative, let me draw him in a little closer first. He could get away if we don't box him in."_

"_Closer? What are you, crazy?"_ Hotdog asked. _"Oh, right, Starbuck taught you. We're all fraked,"_ the man groaned as he watched the Earth pilot fly. Just before the Cylon was about to fire, Jabber's viper engaged FTL and jumped out of harms way, allowing Hotdog a direct kill shot. He zoomed past the Cylon wreckage. _"Where can I get one of those ships?"_ Costanza asked of Starbuck's Viper ME before he sped off after another enemy ship.

Kara continued to watch the raiders and the fleet's vipers, noting every significant maneuver that was made. She'd been out there enough times to draw patterns in the Cylons' attack methods. And there was one raider in particular that was flying in circles, hitting the outer most section of the dradis screen every twenty-three seconds. It didn't settle well with her.

"_I've got the last one,"_ Kat informed the others as she veered off and took pursuit of the lone raider left in their sky.

"_Admiral, call all vipers back to base,"_ Kara spoke for the first time.

There was a brief pause on Galactica's end. _"Kat has it covered; we'll jump when she's…"_

"No, now, get her back!" Kara grew anxious as she watched the raider and Kat's viper dance. "That Cylon is drawing her away; I think it's a trap. I can't explain it sir, but…" she decided to go straight to the source and switched channels, "Katraine, leave him and get back to Galactica, now!" she ordered.

"_Starbuck?"_ the younger woman was confused. _"Frak that, I've almost got him. He'll be in weapons-lock in…"_ her voice trailed off. _"Oh, frak…"_

"Dradis contact!" Hoshi shouted over the wireless chatter, sending chills down Kara's spin. Sometimes she really hated being right. "Two basestars, bearing three-zero-niner, carom one-one-eight." He looked to the commander with a ghostly pale face. "They're right on top of her," he informed Kara.

"Kat!" Starbuck shouted again.

"_I can't shake him, I can't shake him,"_ Kat's voice was fearful, unlike Kara had ever heard the hotshot pilot before. For once in her life, Kara wanted the woman to be a better pilot than herself. _"He's too fast, he keeps herding me into the basestars, I can't…"_

"Come on, Katraine, prove me wrong, prove you're the best," Kara whispered under her breath. "Find a hole, find a fraking way out." She gritted her teeth and balled her hands into tight fists that beat against her thighs in frustration. She wanted to be out there with the young woman. She wanted to be the one to escort that Cylon to its death.

"All fleet ships have safely jumped away," Hoshi relayed. "Galactica birds are all aboard, ours too."

Starbuck knew what he was getting at. "We are not leaving her," she growled at the man. "Find a hole, Katraine!" Kara yelled the order aloud. Her voice reverberated through the CIC and everyone silently watched her, not knowing what else to do.

"Our FTL is spun up," Hoshi remained the picture of a perfect officer, cool under pressure. "Waiting for your order, sir," he looked to Kara.

"_Sorry, Starbuck…"_ there was defeat in Kat's voice. _"Guess you're still the best,"_ she relayed.

Kara slammed her fists hard against the war table as she watched Kat's signal wink out. "You stupid fraking nugget," she swore. "You never could obey orders," the words were not a shout, nor did they carry any palpable contempt. Anger was the only way Kara knew how to deal with the pain in her gut.

"Cylon basestars are now within weapons range," Hoshi spoke up, his voice never rose yet there was a distinct note of urgency in the tone he used. "Galactica has just jumped away."

She took a deep, shaky breath, still staring at a dradis screen full of red blips. "Then get us out of here too."

**xxx**

Lee knocked at his father's hatch and waited a long moment before he finally heard a reply. "Enter," was all the old man said. He knew from experience that it was not his father's happiest tone of voice.

He slowly pushed the partition open and poked his head inside. A hand rested protectively against his daughter's back as Lee spotted the admiral, seated at his desk. "Is it safe to come in?" Lee moved his hand to reveal Joey fully; hoping the child would be enough to pay his entrance fee.

Adama looked up. "That depends," he stood. His face was hard, eyeing the boy with questioning eyes. "Did you apologize?"

The younger man took a few more steps forward. He looked down at his daughter and smiled. "Do you think Kara would have let me near Joey if I hadn't?"

"Probably not," the old man agreed, finally letting his guard down. "Smart boy," he moved around the desk and put a hand upon his son's shoulder. He smiled at Joey. "May I?" he asked. Lee nodded and transferred the girl. Adama motioned his son to sit and then took the chair beside him. "How did it go?" he asked while running a finger over Joey's soft check. The girl rewarded her grandfather with a happy grin.

"It wasn't easy," Lee answered.

"That's good," Adama replied. He could see the confusion in his son's eyes. "Anything worth having is never easy," he amended.

Lee sighed as he settled into his seat. Life with Kara would doubtfully ever be easy. He watched his father with the little girl and had a feeling the old man was taking Kat's loss pretty hard. "I'm sorry about what happened out there today," he knew his father cared a lot about his officers, even though he tried not to. Kat had been a lot like Kara, fiery and a damn good pilot. She'd been with them from the start.

"It's a hell of loss," the Admiral replied, trying to keep his distance from the sadness. Joey's smile helped. "How's Kara?" he knew the two women had butted heads. He also knew that Kara had been the younger woman's teacher.

"You know Kara, she trudges on," Lee shrugged. The truth was he didn't really know what she was thinking. Kara had been quiet on the way over from Pegasus and then she'd taken off without much explanation. "She had something to do, said she'd meet us all later for the meeting with Roslin."

Adama nodded and ended that part of their conversation. "So," the old man glanced at his granddaughter again. "This fatherhood business…"

Lee understood the unasked question on his father's lips. "Is scary," he answered, looking over at Joey as he admitted to the fear in his heart. "And wonderful," he added. Another sigh escaped. "Dad, I… Kara mentioned something again about me in command on Pegasus. I know that's what you've wanted for a while but… I think you should leave it to Kara. She's good at it."

"I won't argue with you on that." There was a silent _but_ at the end of Adama's reply. Lee knew that the old man couldn't help wishing it were his son making waves as a commander.

"I didn't think I could handle it when I first came back from Earth, I think I'm in even less of a position now. I'm not sure I can ever go back to this," Lee looked around the old man's office. "This was always your world, not mine. I did it for you. But I need to do something for myself now," he bravely informed his father.

Adama tried to keep his cool, finally realizing the extent of the mistakes he'd made where his children were concerned. He could see it in Lee's eyes as he spoke. "Meaning what exactly?" he was willing to listen to what the boy had to say.

"Meaning, I'd like to spend some time getting to know my daughter," Lee declared.

A feeling of pride the old man had never known before settled in his heart. He held his granddaughter out toward her father and watched as Lee tenderly took her into his arms again. "She's a very lucky little girl," Adama smiled.

"You're not disappointed?" Lee wondered if he'd always be looking for his father's approval.

The old man shook his head. "You want to be a good father; you want to give your child the things you didn't have." He recalled Kara saying something very similar. "You'll be a better father than I was. I could never be disappointed by that." As much as he hated to admit his faults, a parent always wanted better for their children.

At the moment, Lee didn't have any certainty in his mind that he'd be a better father. He'd come to realize that his old man had done the best he could. That's all Lee could hope for too. "You're wrong, dad, about what you said before. I don't think it's too late for you. Not where I'm concerned."

Adama heard love and forgiveness in his son's words. It was more than he could have hoped for.

**xxx**

Kara looked at the picture she'd gotten from Hotdog, then glanced up at the wall and recognized a few of the faces. Most were pilots that she'd known. A further sea of unknown eyes stared back at her, thousands whose names she didn't know. She found a spot for the latest casualty and tacked the image up. "I'm sorry," her words were a whisper as she focused on a small uniform flag-patch that was pinned up nearby. It was white with a simple red dot in the middle.

A memory of the man it had belonged to came forth. It had been torn from an extra uniform he'd brought along with him from Earth. She hadn't known June Mohri very long, or even that well. But one shift on Jupiter had gotten them talking. He'd told her a story about Earth's Second World War, in which the United States had rounded up all Japanese-Americans and placed them in internment camps. They'd been suspected of treason against the US and locked away without due cause.

Kara had come to discover for herself that Earth had a nasty history of war, long and varied. Some days she wondered what she was doing leading the fleet back to a planet whose religious views were mostly different from theirs; a place where wars were still fought inner-planetary. A world that still wasn't sure what they planned to do with a group of Human's from another part of the universe.

But Earth was the only hope they had left. And she held the power to give the fleet that hope. To give her daughter a chance to live where she'd have grass underfoot and water to splash in. Starbuck knew that she needed to do whatever it took to make the dream of Earth a reality for all of them. She arrived at the war room several minutes later with that goal firmly set again.

Lee was seated across the room, Joey asleep against his shoulder. Kara took up position at Adama's right side. Roslin was to the old man's left, Sharon and Helo stood at the other end of the table. Kara wasn't sure what to make of that obvious division of the group. Then there was Colonel Tigh, also keeping his distance from the others. No one was sure what all had happened to him on New Caprica, other than his instrumental leadership of the resistance. They only knew he'd come back a different man. But the last year had changed all their lives in ways they never thought imaginable.

"How did they find us so soon?" Roslin dove into the main issue.

Helo was the first to respond, still feeling the need to referee between Sharon and the others. "Could have been a completely different faction of Cylons than those on New Caprica," he offered. "Maybe they were just out scouting."

"I doubt it," Kara spoke up.

Roslin shifted her feet. "Perhaps Baltar is guiding them," she put another suggestion on the table. They knew he wasn't with the fleet and she had no doubt he'd escaped from the planet.

"Maybe." There was no conviction in Starbuck's word.

Adama looked to her. "You don't think either of those options is true."

She shook her head. "I've just been thinking…" Kara had done nothing but think since Kat's death a few short hours ago. She didn't care for the conclusions she'd drawn. "Most of the fleet ships were moored on New Caprica for nearly four months under Cylon occupation. They could have done just about anything to them," she pointed out.

"You think they're tracking us?" Roslin asked, surprised they hadn't thought of it before.

"It wouldn't be the first time," Kara recalled the unfortunate job she and Lee had undertaken in destroying the civilian laden _Olympic Carrier_. "There's something else," she paused, recalling Lee's words to her about how Leoben had been completely obsessed in getting him to reveal her location. "I think they were after me out there, not Kat."

The president furrowed her brow. "How's that?"

Adama and Helo wore looks of concern as did Lee who sat forward a little more in an attempt to better hear the conversation. Kara remained stoic as she relayed the information. "They weren't trying to fire on Kat. I was watching them closely. And Kat was good. They were looking for the lead viper, assuming it was me." Kara paused a moment. "She was even flying my old bird."

"Frak me," Helo swore.

"They were trying to lure her to the basestars," Starbuck continued. "I think they wanted her… _me_, alive. But the second I broke wireless silence, I signed her death certificate."

"They were monitoring comms. They knew you weren't in that viper, so they opened fire," Helo shook his head not knowing what else to say.

No one spoke for several seconds, digesting the news. Finally the admiral regrouped, knowing time was of the essence and nothing could be done of the past. "We need to scan all the ships," he concluded, looking first to his XO, hoping to get some sort of reaction out of the man. But Tigh didn't seem eager to jump in, causing Adama to further worry about his long time friend.

"That's going to be a daunting task," Helo replied instead, noticing that Sharon was still quiet too. "Going over every inch of even the smallest passenger ships will take an extremely long time."

"Time we don't have," Starbuck added.

"But if we don't, we risk leading them straight to Earth," Roslin countered.

"We need to start somewhere," Adama pointed out the obvious.

Kara already had a plan formed. "We know they couldn't have touched Jupiter. I think our first step should be to send Jupiter ahead to Earth, access the situation there and be ready to relay that information back to the fleet once we arrive. Or sooner, if we need to be warned away from Earth for any reason."

"That sounds reasonable," Roslin looked to the admiral for agreement. He gave a small nod. "So who goes?" she asked.

"It should be me," Kara promptly volunteered.

"No," Adama didn't hesitate. "I need you on Pegasus. Your command there will help win this war. Unless Earth has something up their sleeve that you haven't told us about," he prodded.

"It's possible," Kara shrugged, not liking how he'd dismissed her so quickly. "I know they didn't keep me informed about all their projects. They gave me the Vipers, which kept me out from underfoot. But I have a feeling they do have something else planned." She explained before turning back to her earlier request. "Galactica is a scrapper; she pulled us out of the fire several times even before Pegasus came into the picture. And someone else can command the beast just as easily…"

"You stay with your ship, commander. That is an order." Adama maintained. "Now, we look for other options as far as Jupiter is concerned."

"I volunteer," Sharon finally made her voice heard. She looked to Adama and Roslin. There had been no apologies between them. But Sharon wasn't looking for that, all she wanted was to be given a chance to live up to the potential she felt inside; to not be judged simply as a machine any longer. "I know Earth, and I'm sure I can handle flying Jupiter. I'll go," she reiterated.

Helo nodded, "_We'll_ go."

Adama made his decision quickly, without consulting the president. "You take two viper pilots, two birds in the cargo hull and two armed Marines."

"Hera goes with us too," Sharon revealed her one demand.

"Agreed," the admiral nodded, even as he watched Roslin twitch beside him. He didn't care if she had an issue with his decision this time. They'd done it her way once, now he planned to try it his way. With that established he looked to Kara again. "What about the rest of the fleet? I assume your plan doesn't end with Jupiter's scout mission."

"No, sir," Kara answered. "Galactica and Pegasus were in orbit above the planet, so we assume they're safe too," she continued. "I say we divide the ships. Half go with Galactica, the other half with Pegasus. Each group takes a different route to Earth."

"Split the fleet? You think that's wise?" Roslin wasn't fond of the idea and planned to voice her opinion on the matter, seeing as how she'd been dismissed from the last decision. "We've always been stronger together," she recalled the ugly rift that had been caused after she'd asked for ships to join her in the quest for Kobal.

"If the Cylons are tracking us, then yes, I believe it's wise," Kara replied with confidence. "If we can divert their efforts to follow us, maybe make them think twice about whether we really know the way to Earth or not, possibly get them to follow just one group…" she shrugged. "We stand a chance of at least half the fleet getting safely to Earth."

"I don't like those odds," Roslin looked down her nose at the young commander. "What's to stop the Cylons from sending ships after both groups?"

"Nothing," Kara admitted. "I'm not saying this plan will stop them, but the Cylons tend to think out their problems too much. Throwing them a curve like this could buy us some time. We slow them down a little and it could make all the difference in the worlds for us."

"Not exactly a concrete plan," Adama mulled the idea, usually expecting more from Kara. "I agree with the president, I don't like the idea of breaking apart the fleet," he noted. "But if we can throw them off even by an inch, then it will be worth it," he agreed, eager to appease both women.

"Okay," Roslin gave her approval, hoping they knew better than she did.

Kara didn't give them time to rethink their agreement. She rolled out a star chart and everyone moved in closer. "It will be a bit of a stretch but I think we can get the fleet jumped in seven days. The quicker the better. Day seven, we meet here, third rock from the sun," she pointed to the blue-green sphere on the map. "Earth."

**xxx**

Lee moved Joey to his right shoulder and reached out to grasp Kara's hand as they made their way toward the flight deck. She held it for a moment but there was little warmth against his skin. Worry pooled in his stomach. "You can't blame yourself for what happened to Kat," he tried to console her grief.

She shook her head. "Kind of hard not to. I was the one they were after."

"Maybe, but you don't know that for sure," Lee countered, not wanting to think about Leoben's ongoing obsession with her. "And Kat was just doing her job, the way we all do," he pointed out. Another thought crept forward. "Are you upset because I told dad I didn't want command of Pegasus. Are you mad at me because he's making you stay on there?" Lee prodded further, wanting only to help.

"No," she replied.

"Then what, Kara?" he persisted. "Don't do this, okay," Lee stopped and made her face him. "You asked me to be a part of this family; you made me promise to be at your side. Well, here I am, Kara. I'm not going anywhere, but you have to let me in. Don't close your self off again," he pleaded to her with his eyes. "Please, talk to me." He got nothing but silence in return.

"Starbuck!"

Kara sighed inwardly as she heard Helo's shout from down the corridor. She was thankful of the distraction and avoided Lee's gaze while Helo caught up to them. Karl looked to his friend with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry I left you in the lurch back there, it's just…"

"I understand, Helo," she cut him off. "It makes the most sense," Kara agreed. "I'm sure I'll find another poor sucker to be my XO. You're replaceable," she teased, though her heart wasn't in it. "You should be with your family," the last words were sincere.

He smiled and pulled her close. "You're family too, Buck," Helo told her. "Always," the hug was quick and then he turned to face Lee, extending his hand to the man. "I'm sorry about hitting you," he apologized.

"It's forgotten," Lee shook the man's hand. "Thank you, for being with them when I couldn't." Karl nodded and was off again, headed toward his ship.

The rest of their walk was short and Adama met up with them on the flight deck before Lee could try to reach Kara again. A raptor was ready to go, waiting to take them back to Pegasus. The old man stood for a long second before he fished something out of his pocket. He held the worn lighter in his left hand. "Should we go this route again?" he asked his children.

Lee looked at his daughter and grinned. "I think you should hold on to that one," he replied to his father as he gently bounced the girl. "This time we have our own Joey Adama to get back to you," he concluded.

"You be sure and do that," Adama's words caught in his throat. He'd just gotten his family back a short time ago and now he was saying goodbye to them. His whole life was starting to seem like a series of farewells. "I'd like a chance to get to know my granddaughter better," he leaned in and kissed the baby on her cheek. Then he wrapped his arms around Lee and held the boy close for a long moment.

Adama pulled back and turned to Kara. "I found you a replacement for Helo," he told her. "I've already sent Tigh on ahead. He knows the job and he's familiar with the Pegasus crew," the old man knew it was probably the most ridiculous thing he had ever done, pairing Saul and Kara to command a battlestar. But he felt that if anything could break Tigh out of his stupor it would be Starbuck, even if they did end up punching the crap out of each other.

Kara didn't know what to say. But Tigh actually seemed the least of her worries as she found herself suddenly wrapped up in Adama's embrace. Her already fragile state of mind was tipped yet again and she did her best to keep up appearances. Like Lee had said, they all had a job to do and she planned to see hers through, whatever it took.

They all felt a quick good-bye was best, so Adama sent them on their way with a simple promise. "I'll see you all in a week."

**xxx**

_Seven days later…_

He closed his eyes as the final jump commenced. Seconds later he re-opened them and glanced around the room. Roslin was at his side. She'd wanted to be aboard the battlestar for the final leg of their journey. Adama couldn't help the smile that formed as she looked his way. One long week had changed their relationship even further. He returned to the task at hand and eyed Gaeta. "Can you confirm our position?"

The officer immediately scanned the area and compared the findings against data that Kara had provided for them. He came to a conclusion with a smile upon his face. "Initial sweep confirms that we are in close proximity of a planet that matches the data we have on file for Earth. Surrounding constellations also match… Capricorn, Sagittarius, Leo, Virgo…" his excited tone echoed through the silent CIC.

Once the realization sunk in, cheers went up all around the room. They'd found Earth. The hope of their long journey had just been turned into a reality for all of them to share. Laughter seeped from their tired souls. Tears fell from joyful eyes. Hugs were exchanged between those who had worked closely together for three long years to find a new place to call home.

"Dradis contact!"

As quickly as the celebration had begun, it ended. The room was quiet again. "Reading one ship bearing three-three-one, carom zero-one-niner," Gaeta checked the signal. Fear was abated as the man's serious face blossomed into another grin. "Sir, it's the Jupiter."

"I'm getting something from them," Dee announced as she piped the message through.

"_Galactica, this is Athena, do you read?"_

The old man was confused as he spoke. "Jupiter, this is Galactica Actual. Please repeat call-sign," he instructed.

"_Galactica, Helo here,"_ the man answered, stifling a laugh. _"Sorry, sir, we've been out here a few days waiting for you. Hotdog got bored and insisted we find Sharon a call-sign,"_ he explained.

Adama almost cracked a smile. They sounded jovial. And looking out at the faces around him, he found more happiness staring back. They'd made it home. "Athena," he addressed the woman, finding a renewed sense of faith in her abilities. "What is Earth's status?"

"_Earth is secure,"_ she was pleased to reply. _"I've been in touch with the UESA director, General Mason. He's assured us that there is no Cylon presence upon Earth,"_ Athena confirmed the good news.

"Dradis contact!"

The admiral's joy slipped a moment as they again waited to hear from Gaeta. "It's the rest of the fleet, sir. Pegasus and all twenty-two ships under their command are accounted for," he confirmed.

No Cylon presence on Earth. All fleet ships were in tact and they hadn't found any Cylon tracking signals. They never could have hoped for such a feat. But Adama knew they still needed to be wary of the Cylons jumping in at any moment. Which meant they needed to regroup as soon as possible. "Lieutenant Dualla, get me Pegasus actual on the line," he instructed.

She followed his order but an odd look on the young woman's face caused his stomach to flop. "Do you have her?" he asked.

Dee swallowed. "Pegasus actual is on the line, sir," she replied.

"Put it overhead," he instructed, happy that his initial worry appeared to be unfounded. "Everyone in this fleet owes you a dept of gratitude, Starbuck," he spoke over the comm.

"_Galactica," _it wasn't Kara's voice that replied._ "This is Pegasus commander, Lee Adama."_

The words echoed off the walls of CIC and silence once again reigned in the room. The old man clutched the edge of his table. Roslin put a hand to his forearm, seeing the worry and confusion written in his brow. The same questions plagued her. He finally found the courage to speak, his voice stiff. "Lee, where is Ka… where is Commander Thrace?" he demanded.

A long pause followed before Lee's voice returned. _"Commander Thrace and Colonel Tigh are no longer aboard Pegasus,"_ he calmly relayed the words.

But to Adama's trained ear, he could hear his son's heart breaking. "What does that mean?" he ground out the question.

Lee continued to speak in a manner so devoid of emotion that he sounded like he was reading off a prompt card. _"Two days ago we came across a Cylon Heavy Raider. It was badly damaged and there were no life signs. Commander Thrace insisted on bringing it aboard, thinking we could scrap it for parts and weapons. We discovered three Cylons waiting for us with an armed nuclear warhead. They'd masked their body heat. They threatened to detonate the weapon unless we met their demand."_

"Which was?" the old man could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"_All they wanted was Kara,"_ Lee's utterance of her name finally caused a damn to break, his voice wavered. _"She went with them, willingly,"_ he revealed.

Of course she did. Adama shook his head. "Why?" he asked in a horse whisper of breath. Then he exploded, hands beating down against the table. "Why!" he shouted the demand. "What do they want with her?" The old man had hoped Kara's theory behind Kat's death had been false, now he saw the truth of it plain as day.

"_The Cylon, Leoben,"_ his name was a curse that flowed from Lee's lips like blood. _"He knows she's been to Earth, knows she's worked with the people of Earth to create new ships and to formulate battle plans…"_

Adama's last ounce of hope thrummed a cadence of dread in time with his pulse. He knew what was coming.

_"I think they believe Kara can secure Earth for them."_

* * *

_**To Be Continued…**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe; television show or tie-in books.

Sorry this took so long, sorry this part is a bit slow, but the next part will be up very soon!

* * *

**Wing and a Prayer  
Part 16**

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

"_Kara?"_

_His voice brought it all home. She inhaled deeply as she held Joey close, storing the sweet scent of her daughter in the memory banks of her mind. Kara kissed Joey atop her head and laid the girl back into her bed. She finally turned to Lee with a sober face. "She's asleep. Let's just let her sleep through this, okay?"_

_Lee's face was awash with conflicting emotions. "Through what, Kara, her mother's abandonment?"_

_Her teeth clenched against the pain she felt inside. "That is not what I'm doing and you know it," her voice was anger filled but soft. She knew Joey was probably young enough not to remember but that really didn't help sooth her own mind. Kara had heard far too many similar fights between her parents, until one day her father was gone for good. At least Joey wouldn't get a chance to grow attached before losing her. But there was little comfort in that._

_He wavered between wanting to yell at her and feeling like he was going to break down crying. "You're going with the Cylons. That sure seems like abandonment to me," Lee used accusations to try and hide the fear in his heart. "You made me promise to be at your side, Kara." He striped the jacket from his torso and put a hand to the tattoo on his right arm. "What about this? And earth. I told you I was never leaving you. Did all of that mean nothing to you?"_

"_Of course not, but everything is different now." It had changed so fast, Kara realized. "I'm doing this for Joey, for you… for all of the fleet," she maintained her position. "There's no other choice."_

_Lee took a step toward her. His eyes softened. "We'll find another way," he countered. "We'll make it work somehow." _

_His tone broke her heart, but she shook her head. "If I don't go now, we all die."_

"_It's not me I'm worried about dying," Lee replied. His right hand reached out to touch her cheek. "I'd rather die with you than live without you."_

_Kara tried hard not to laugh. "You are a romantic fool, Lee," a sad smile graced her lips. "And I love you for it, I do, but that's not the way it's going to be." She turned away, staring down at Joey, watching her sleep without a care in the universe. "Our daughter deserves a chance to live," she looked up again. "And the old man needs you and this ship to fight for Earth."_

"_He needs you too," Lee returned._

_Her eyes closed for a second as she tried to shake away the image of the Admiral's disappointed face. It wasn't hard to imagine, she'd seen it many times over the years. It was lodged in her memory. But acknowledging the old man's feelings in all of it would only make things worse. She needed to remain firm. "We can't keep talking in circles," Kara moved away from Joey without another glance. She headed to the hatch. "I have to go."_

_Lee caught her hand. "Don't do this, Kara. We need you, all of us… I… please. Don't leave me," he begged. Kara wouldn't turn around and he felt her try to break free of his grasp. Lee held on tighter. "No," he spun her around and backed her against the hatch, pinning her to it with surprising strength. "Kara. No." _

"_Please don't make this harder than it already is," she pleaded, pulling away._

"_No!" Lee shouted in one last effort to make her understand his pain. His head dropped in defeat a moment later. It came to rest against her shoulder. "No," the word repeated much softer as his grip eased a little. The anger he felt inside quickly ebbed into need as he captured her lips with his own. It wasn't a gentle kiss, nor was it frantic. The connection lay somewhere between the two emotions, utterly indescribable. _

_Kara let her arms go limp for a minute as she got caught up in his embrace. But one hand brushed against something that sent reality shivering back down her spine. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her forehead pressed to his as she broke the kiss. Kara removed the command insignia from her jacket and placed it in Lee's hand. Then she grasped the item at her thigh. _

_He barely had time to register the butt of her gun swinging toward his temple before everything faded from view._

Lee opened his eyes, dissolving the memory. The reality of her actions sunk in again as he sat hunched over in one corner of the private command quarters aboard Pegasus. In some far recess of his mind he heard the sound of a baby crying but he couldn't make himself care. A bottle of something clear rested on the metal decking between his legs. A hand clenched tightly on the neck of it and he brought it to his lips, taking a long draught. The alcohol burned a fiery path into his belly.

"A toast!" he slurred as he held the bottle up. "To Starbuck, the woman I love and hate…" Another long drink followed. "Wish you would have just used the other end, Kara. Put me out of my misery." The bottle fell from his hand and shattered on the floor. He slumped over, reaching out to try and pick up the pieces. Lee felt something sharp nick his hand but his eyes closed as he slipped further to the floor. He felt no pain as he welcomed the alcohol induced slumber.

**xxx**

"Get up," Tigh growled as he kicked her prone form.

He didn't know how much time had passed since they'd been tossed into the Cylon equivalent of a holding cell. It seemed like he'd just gotten out of one of those on New Caprica. Tigh clutched his head in the hopes of keeping it on straight. Clearly they'd been drugged. There was a slight wobble to his step as he explored the space. He paused and ran a hand over the surface of the ship's bulkhead, a strange hybrid of metal and organic materials.

Tigh put an ear to the bulkhead and listened, somewhat mesmerized by the soft thrum he heard passing through the ship. He pulled away quickly, shaking clear the odd sensations that had briefly clouded his mind. The colonel figured it was just the drugs wearing off.

His focus on Starbuck returned. "What are you still doing on your ass?" he asked, continuing to pace the Cylon chamber.

Kara groaned as she got to her knees then sat up and looked around for a second, assessing the situation. "I'm stuck on a Cylon Basestar and Colonel Tigh is yelling at me," she sighed and rubbed her aching head. "The afterlife officially sucks."

"You're not dead yet," Tigh replied.

She sneered. "Something to look forward to then." Kara hugged her knees to her chest. "I only came here to give the others a chance to get away. I have no intention of giving up Earth to the Cylons, which means I'll probably be dead soon," she cocked her head upward to regard the colonel. "My part in all this is over now," Kara declared.

Tigh huffed. "Right… and I'm a bloody Cylon," he quipped, not believing her. "Since when do you just give up?"

"What the frak do you know? You gave up a long time ago," she didn't even bother to look up again, resting her head against the bulkhead and closing her eyes, hoping Leoben would show up soon and put her out of her misery. Instead all she could see in her head was an image of Lee and herself on a beach with Joey. They were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and watching the waves roll in and out.

"I know I was fighting a dreadnaught full of Cylons before you were even a glimmer in your parent's eyes," Tigh replied, not letting her off so easily. "So, I think I know something about going up against these frakers. I also know how to recognize that fighting spirit in a person and I know when it's gone. Yours is still there," he insisted.

She chuckled mirthlessly. "I was never a glimmer in their eyes."

"Huh?"

Kara opened her eyes and glared at the man. "A glimmer represents forethought," she replied. "I was just a quick frak and then they felt obligated to stay together."

"Whoa!" he held his hands up at her. "This is not the time or place. Not to mention, there's not enough booze left in the fleet to touch that subject," Tigh concluded.

She cackled in response to his comment. But the laughter ended as a tear slipped down her cheek. Kara swiped it away, feeling like she was starting to lose control. Regrets and guilt sat at the bottom of her stomach making her feel sick. "Why are you here?" she changed the subject to avoid her own emotions. "You moped around Pegasus for several days and then suddenly you insist on following me?" it still seemed completely out of character to her that he'd volunteered to come along. Though, the fact that the Cylons had allowed it was even more bizarre.

His eyes darted around the room, avoiding direct contact with her as the conversation grew personal. "A long time ago the old man came to my rescue and I've been backing the Adama family ever since," it seemed a simple enough answer to him. He was a lot of things, a washed up old drunk mostly, but he was not without honor.

She snorted. "I'm not an Adama."

"A formality," he noted. "Besides, you gave birth to one. Close enough," Tigh surmised.

The colonel struggled with himself on how much he wanted to get into it with her. It seemed completely unlikely that they'd ever get along, probably because they were too much alike. But honesty always seemed best, even when it got him into trouble. "The old man sent me to your ship; he put me in charge of backing you up. Now, I could give a damn what happens to you but the old man and Lee, they seem to like you," he rolled his eyes at the notion.

But one person had loved him, for reasons he still couldn't fathom. Thoughts of Ellen put it all in perspective. "This war has already caused too many families to fall apart." He took a deep breath before continuing. "They killed my wife, to get to me," Tigh revealed to her. "I'll be damned if the old man, Lee and that kid of yours have to go through that too."

Her jaw twitched, uncertain what to say in response. "I didn't realize…"

"I don't want your pity!" he shouted back, falling into familiar territory again. "I just need you to do what you do best." Kara's left eyebrow rose in a questioning manner. "Don't make me spell it out for you Thrace. I'm not one to give compliments, but you know how to fight these frakers better than most." He held a hand out to her. "If we keep fighting amongst ourselves then the Cylons have already won."

Kara thought maybe they'd all gone slightly mad after such a long time spent fighting the Cylons. And losing people they loved, rebuilding and losing it all again. But as he spoke, she felt herself slip back into place. Even though she feared Lee would never be able to forgive her for what she'd done to him, she couldn't just sit by and wait to die. Tigh had been right all along. She hadn't given up yet.

His hand was surprisingly warm as she took it. Once on her feet, her resolve was complete. "Let's fight," she nodded. It seemed best to stick with at least one thing they both knew how to do well.

**xxx**

"Wake up!"

Lee jolted back to life as he felt cool liquid splash his face. It trickled in rivulets down his neck and seeped under the edges of his tanks. The sensation was uncomfortable and he tried to focus well enough to see who had doused him, feeling anger toward the intruder. Another wave of water got him to sit up and he finally registered the old man's voice.

"You're a disgrace; now get off your ass!" Adama shouted in his face.

"Dad?" he looked around, somewhat confused, wondering how long he'd been out. The first thing he remembered was that Kara was gone; that part of the last twenty-four hours had not been a dream. More like a nightmare, Lee thought. But something else concerned him more as sobriety started to take hold. "Where is Joey?"

"Helo took her just after we arrived," the admiral revealed. He drew his son up and pushed the boy onto the nearby sofa. Then he went about cleaning the younger man's cut hand. "Reports from the crew stated they heard her crying almost non-stop since the fleet arrived at Earth," the words were cold. "But no one could get in here because you bolted the hatch. It took over an hour to cut through that thing and then I find my granddaughter in a state of complete…" he took a breath, shaking his head. "I don't even know how to express what I felt when I found her nearly inconsolable." He wrapped Lee's hand a little too tight as his anger welled.

The old man felt shame, though, like he was partly to blame for the situation. He knew Kara's absence had been a major blow to Lee. Unfortunately there had been so much to take care of after making first contact with Earth. Meeting officials and undergoing medical scans. Twenty-four hours had passed without being able to get in touch with his son.

Lee heard the disappointment in his father's tone. "I'm sorry," he tried to gulp down the sorrow. "I really wanted to do it better, I really did," he looked to the old man for forgiveness.

Adama had been so angry he could hardly see straight. Now the look on Lee's face cut into his soul. He went to his son and wrapped the boy in his arms, holding on. "I know you did, I know you did," he tried to sooth, wondering if anything in their lives would ever be easy.

"Why did she leave?" Lee asked, sounding completely lost.

The old man remembered when Lee had been a little boy, how he use to come running when the lighting storms hit. He'd jump into his parent's bed and snuggle in as Caroline made up stories about the Gods fighting up in the sky and creating the lightning and thunder. Adama shook his head as he realized consoling the boy wouldn't be as easy this time. He pulled away to look his son in the eye. "She thought it was the only way." More guilt pooled in the old man's gut. He should have been there for his family when they needed him most.

"I hate her," Lee's tears abated. "I hate her so much."

The admiral rested one hand on Lee's shoulder. "I know." A sad, yet understanding, smile tugged at his lips. There was a fine line between love and hate, especially where Kara Thrace was involved.

"She knew, dad," Lee regained an ounce of coherency. "She knew what was going to happen," he insisted. "Divide the fleet? You never would have gone for that it if had been anyone other than Kara suggesting it. But she tried to get herself alone aboard Jupiter, failing that she figured getting herself away from at least half the fleet would be better. She knew they were coming for her."

A sigh escaped the old man's lips as he realized the truth of Lee's words. "We should have realized."

"Why didn't she tell us? Why wouldn't she let us help her, dad?"

"Apparently she still doesn't understand the way a family works," Adama replied as he stood. He went to retrieve some stims that he'd seen on the counter. He figured they were what had kept Lee going until he'd gotten Pegasus and the others to Earth. Adama didn't care for their usage but they seemed a necessity at the moment.

"What's done is done," the old man declared. "We don't have time to dwell on the past," he knew that was easier said than done as his own mind was still wondering why Saul had gone with her. "Kara did what she believed was right. Now it's up to us to prepare Earth for the battle ahead," he placed the pills in Lee's hand.

Lee knew he'd never be able to get Kara off his mind. But the fleet and Earth needed guidance, and his little girl needed a father with his head on straight. So he buried the emotions deep and once again played the part of the dutiful soldier. "Understood," he downed the pills and followed the admiral's lead.

**xxx**

The underground flight bay was cool, a fact for which Roslin was grateful. A few years in space and one long New Caprican winter had her acclimated toward colder weather. The hot sun of the California desert had been a bit of a shock at first. But finally seeing Earth up close was worth a thousand suns glaring down on her. It was a moment to remember.

Her first outing had been to visit President Collins of the United States of America. Once their official business had been discussed, she'd requested a walk around the White House grounds, where she'd promptly removed her shoes and stood on the lush green grass. The act of standing barefoot on Earth made solid the dream she'd held for the last few years. She could still see Bill Adama's bemused look as he'd watched her enjoy the moment.

Unfortunately, the walk and Adama's admiration had both ended much too quickly as they were pulled away to a meeting with the heads of several other nations that were all a part of the newly formed United Earth Space Alliance. From there they'd been whisked away to a state in the south western part of the country to look over the production that Commander Thrace and the others had begun.

They'd learned a lot in their hurried meetings and tour of the base, but little had yet been spoken about whether or not the Colonists would be welcomed to Earth, to stay, to live. Most of the time had been spent dealing with the Cylon threat, and Laura Roslin stood now with a small metallic object in the palm of her hand. General Mason had presented it just moments ago with a lofty promise.

Her eyes peered over the top of her glasses as she regarded the item. It was rather small, about an inch wide, two inches long and very flat. And it weighed next to nothing. She looked up. "I apologize in advance for my ignorance but how exactly do you think this is going to help us fight an army of Cylons? Commander Thrace did inform you about their relentless pursuit, did she not?"

"She did," Mason took the object from her. "The Cap… Commander Thrace is the reason why this device exists," he found it odd not to be meeting without Kara. He hated to admit how found he'd grown of the young woman over a year's time. She was close to the age of his two daughters and he'd become rather protective of her. Now she was out there at the mercy of the enemy she'd warned them of, all to find the fleet and prove her story to Earth. Mason couldn't help feel a little guilt over that fact, thinking he should have pushed his government harder to trust her.

"But what is it?" Roslin asked.

"It's the UESA's version of a jump drive," he announced, getting back to business.

"Excuse me?" she was more than a little surprised. Roslin didn't know a lot about jump drives but she'd seen plenty of them, and none of the Colonial fleet's drives were nearly as miniscule as the item she had just held. "You're telling me that tiny device can jump a ship?" The other colonial men and women gathered around her seemed just as shocked. Chief Tyrol stepped forward asking to see the object up close.

"No," Mason quickly shook his head in reply as he handed the drive over to Tyrol. "The purpose of this drive is not to jump a ship. We didn't have the time to build anything along the lines of your Battlestars." He informed her. "So, we decided to take on this fight from another angle."

"Which would be?" Roslin prodded.

"Defensive weaponry," he replied. "Earth has a surplus of nuclear warheads, among other missiles and bombs. We just had no way to get them into space in any effective way. Until now," he nodded toward the small FTL drive. "This jump drive can be attached to any weapon, any object really, within a range of size. Once attached and activated, it's a simple matter of typing in the coordinates and jumping the weapon. We can jump it inside one of those Cylon basestars if we get proper telemetry. Then we remote detonate the bomb. They'll never see it coming," he concluded.

"And this will really work?" Roslin was afraid to hope for such a coupe. It could very well change the entire tide of their war. An element of surprise was just what they needed, especially with Kara Thrace in Cylon hands. That was a matter she tried not to think about as she knew the pain it was causing the Adama family, and by extension, her.

As if in tune with her thoughts, she spied the Admiral and Lee as they entered the flight bay. Bill looked a little haggard but it was nothing compared to how his son appeared. Yet they both stood tall in their nearly identical uniforms. Even at half strength, Laura Roslin knew the two of them were a force to be reckoned with.

Mason quickly caught the Adama's up to speed before getting back to Roslin's question. "It will work," Mason's voice carried a confident tone. "We can do this from the ground, but it would be better to have ships in the air," he noted.

"Raptors?" Roslin questioned. "You have produced a few of those vessels, haven't you?"

"We have a handful for scout and tactical use, but they're not large enough to hold the sort of weapon stores necessary," he edged slowly toward his goal.

"You have something else in mind?" Adama spoke up.

Mason nodded. "We need ships, preferably ships with your advanced dradis capabilities. They don't need to have gun ports, as the FTL devices will get the weapons where they need to go. So, any ship with a large cargo hold will do. You have an entire fleet if I'm not mistaken," Mason concluded.

Lee was concerned. "What about the civilians on those vessels?" he questioned. "If we turn them into warships, we risk those lives."

"They are welcome here," Mason made the offer immediately. "We can have shuttles transport them all to the surface and load our weapons on return trips," Mason suggested.

Now it was Roslin's turn to be concerned. She didn't much care for just dropping off all their people onto a planet that still hadn't decided to allow them to stay. At the moment they were all only thinking in terms of survival, which was necessary. But in the long term, they needed to know they had a place to live. That had been the goal of Earth all along. And if it wasn't an obtainable goal, then they couldn't risk leaving people behind if they needed to flee again.

On the other hand, if they didn't do everything in their power to help Earth, all thirteen colonies could be lost for good. She turned to Adama and knew his answer without him saying a word. His voice echoed in her head, loud and clear. _Sometimes you have to roll the hard six. _"You'll have the ships you need," Roslin assured Mason.

Mason nodded a quick thank you as he directed their eyes to the large screen across from where they all stood. It was a map of Earth's solar system. "Now we need to talk about strategies," Mason pointed at two spots on the screen. I think we should keep several ships out of sight, behind the moon and in orbit on the dark side of the planet. He turned to Lee. "Do you know what Commander Thrace will tell the Cylons?" he asked.

Lee tried to keep his face impassive. "She'll die before she gives up Earth," he uttered.

The Earth General sympathized with the younger man but remained duty-bound to persist in his questioning. "That may be, but if she were somehow forced to reveal our position, we need to know the best way to go after this enemy," he again looked to Lee, figuring that if anyone knew the ins and outs of Kara Thrace's mind, it would be him.

Lee took a deep breath. He went to the screen and scanned the planets and star formations, trying to rack his brain. The blobs of color swirled into a haze as he heard Kara's voice. _The eye… that red spot there; it reminds me of something, some image I've been seeing since I was a kid. _"Jupiter," he finally replied, confidence kicking in.

He turned to face them all again. "We know the area, which means we have the advantage," Lee further explained. "Kara knows that too and she'll draw them in somewhere close but far enough away from Earth to keep them safe. Here," he pointed to the gas giant planet. "If she has to, she'll lead them here to Jupiter."

"Then Galactica will go to Jupiter with a fleet of armed civilian vessels," Adama stepped in and mapped out the rest of a plan, feeling confident in his son's information. "Pegasus will stay in Earth orbit. The UESA vessel, Jupiter, should take position at the dark side of the moon. We also set Viper squadrons at Mars and further out near Saturn." He looked to Mason for approval.

The general nodded. "We surround them," he agreed with the plan.

The admiral turned to his officers and dolled out further instructions. He looked to Athena and Helo last. "Your actions are to be commended. Both of you. It's because of officers such as yourselves that we have reached our destination," Adama let them know he was proud. "I want you to help Mason coordinate the civilian transfers and the weapon uploads."

They both nodded. "Athena," he addressed the young man. "Once things get underway, I want you to remain on Earth. We need a liaison between Earth and the Colonial people that will be left behind while we fight."

"Vice President Zarek will also be remaining on Earth, to represent our political interests," Laura chimed in. It wasn't the greatest option but she had no intentions of leaving the fleet.

"Yes, sir," Sharon replied.

Adama turned to Helo. "I'd like you on Pegasus with Lee," he informed her.

"Yes, sir," Helo replied in turn. He and Sharon both saluted the old man then followed Mason to get things under way.

"Major Adama!" Lee turned at the sound of a familiar voice and found Commander Yuri Laika striding toward him. The man extended his hand and shook Lee's, pumping his arm up and down enthusiastically. "I am very pleased that Captain Thrace's hunting went so well, though I suppose she is a commander now," he grinned broadly. "I am sorry she's not with us again, yet," he added.

Lee was thankful for the Russian cosmonaut's choice of words. But he didn't get a chance to say so before he spotted the woman and boy coming up behind Laika. He recognized them as Anna and Peter, Laika's family. It was a bit of a surprise to see them but the best surprise was the little girl held in Anna's arms.

Joey's face lit up as she spotted her father and her little hands reached out to him. Lee felt completely unworthy of her welcoming smile but he scooped her up and held her close, pressing his lips to her forehead. "Helo brought her to us when he realized we were in the area for all this activity with the UESA and your arrival," Laika explained.

Adama and Roslin stepped forward and introduced themselves. The old man put a hand to Joey's head and kissed her the same as Lee had. Laura was pleased to see them both looking so happy at the moment. She didn't know the child well but she had a distinct feeling that the little girl held much of her mother's charm when it came to dealing with the Adama men.

"I couldn't help but overhear," Laika interrupted the reunion. "I was wondering if you might be willing to take me on in exchange for your absent crew members," he ventured. "My wife, son and I would very much like to be a part of this, to see more of space and to do our part."

"This is war," Adama replied. "I understand that the people of Earth have always considered space a place of peaceful existence, but the Cylons don't hold that opinion. This is not the time or place for civilians."

"As a member of the UESA, I plan to fight in this war one way or another," Commander Laika returned. "But I won't leave my family behind if for some reason we all must flee. You've had families with you all this time along your journey," he pointed out.

"By necessity," Laura joined in.

Laika nodded his understanding. "This is necessity also. Helping you fight this battle benefits all of Earth, but if we are going to extend a true hand of friendship then I think we need to be willing to make sacrifices as well," he looked to Roslin then to the admiral. "This is no longer your burden to carry alone."

For the first time since they'd arrived on Earth, Adama felt they stood a chance at being welcomed. He shook the man's hand in agreement to Laika's request. "We'll be boarding a shuttle soon."

"Thank you, Admiral," Laika departed, guiding his family away to retrieve their belongings.

Laura smiled, shaking her head in disbelief. She was starting to hope that there would be room on Earth for the fleet. Lee and Kara's reports of Earth had left her conflicted. All the major religious discrepancies and the division of the planet seemed so far from the organized government that had existed within the twelve colonies. Even though those alliances had begun to fracture a bit after the first Cylon war, they'd still mostly been a unified people.

Earth seemed so scattered, yet at the same time, their diversity was refreshing. And clearly there were those willing to make room for them in their lives on planet Earth. "Commander Thrace seems to have done something quite remarkable here," Laura noted.

"Yes, she did," Adama agreed. He watched Athena and Helo across the way, already helping Mason. He spotted his son and granddaughter as they spoke further with Laika and his family. "The four of them did," he acknowledged the group effort. "I only hope the rest of Earth will be so welcoming when this is all over," he voiced her similar thoughts.

Laura sighed, not wanting to leave the planet just yet. "I guess we should be going," she succumbed to reality.

"Before we do," he motioned to her with a nod of his head and she followed him out into the bright light of day. "There's something…" he paused, looking past the base's boundary toward the low plateau on the horizon. His eyes returned to Laura. "When all of this started, I expected to de dead very quickly. I didn't think I had enough fight left in me for an old man," he smiled. "But certain people along the way helped me find the courage to continue. I'm happy to say that you're one of them," his smile faltered a little. "If things don't go well out there…"

"You're not dying on me yet," she stopped him briefly.

He smiled, pleased that she didn't seem uncomfortable at what he was leaning toward. "Too many things have been left unspoken," Adama persisted. "I won't leave this up in the air again. I told Lee a while back that if I ever had a chance at the kind of love that he and Kara share, I wouldn't let anything stand in the way of it. My interest in you is more than that of an Admiral to his president and more than just friends."

"So is my interest in you," she replied simply, letting her feelings be known.

He leaned in and kissed her without further ado, not caring if anyone was around outside to witness the event. The old man stood a little taller as their union was broken. "I'm glad that's settled."

"Me too," Laura agreed, a bright smile permanently affixed to her face. "Now, let's go put an end to this war."

* * *

**To Be Continued…**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe; television show or tie-in books.

BIG thanks to all who left comments on that last chapter. It's nice to know that a few people are still interested in this story. Enjoy!

* * *

**Wing and a Prayer  
Part 17**

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

Leoben entered the holding chamber wearing a smug look on his face, like he'd already won the battle. Kara was ready for him. If Saul Tigh still had fight left in him then who was she to back down? She stood close to the entrance. Colonel Tigh kept his distance, knowing that it was more her fight than his at this point. The Cylon stepped forward and kept an eye on the colonel as he went to Starbuck.

"It's time to fulfill your destiny, Kara," he began. "It's time to lead us to Earth, so that we can all take our rightful place in the universe," his voice was a soft coo that sent an icy shiver through her body.

Kara stood up straighter and shook a messy tangle of hair from her eyes. An evasive smile grew upon her lips. "I've been to Earth," her words were slow and calculating. "Leading you there was never part of the deal."

"Of course it is. I've seen your path, I…"

"Enough!" Her fist struck out and hit him in the jaw. While he was momentarily dazed, she took the opportunity to bash his head against the nearest bulkhead. He doubled over, clutching his bleeding skull. "Whatever stream or path you think you've seen, whatever fraked up destiny plan the Cylons have in mind, you can keep to yourself," she whispered in his ear.

Leoben grinned as blood from a split lip stained his teeth. "Really?" he continued to taunt her. "You came here with me, of your own will. You are still interested in what I have to say," he maintained.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Kara remembered the item at her ankle and quickly sprang into action. They'd taken her gun but apparently hadn't scanned for any other weapons. She had him pinned against the wall in an instant, a knife to his throat. "I came here to give the people I love a chance at survival," she spat. "It's as simple as that.

His smile grew brighter. "Nothing is ever so simple," he replied.

Kara was done. The tip of her blade caused a small trickle of blood to spill from his throat. "If I kill you now, will you come back?" she asked.

"Yes." Still his eyes shinned with a false sense of superiority.

"Good, then you give your people a message for me when you wake up," Kara didn't care how confident he looked. "Tell them I've been to Earth. Tell them I've felt sand between my toes and splashed in an ocean. Tell them I've felt desert rain and scorching sun on my skin. I've seen the beauty that Earth has to offer its long lost brothers and sisters, beauty that you will never know," her voice was malice filled. "Tell them they are not welcome on Earth," Kara plunged the small knife into his chest.

She retracted the blade. "That was for Lee and the little girl, Kasey," she whispered. Again the knife found a patch of fleshy machinery to sink into. "And that was for Kat," she hissed, watching his eyes as they rolled back into his head. "The next time you want to come after me, you come after _me_! Don't use innocent people or children to play your sick little games."

Kara let go and he fell to the floor in a heap. She tried to steady her rapid heartbeat as she stepped away from him. Her eyes locked with Tigh's for a moment. "You wanted to fight. What do we do now?"

He looked down at the Cylon corpse and took a deep breath. "First thing should be to find some better weapons. I don't think we can cut our way off this ship," Tigh glanced at her bloody knife.

"I could try," she was still feeling the adrenaline rush of her encounter as she swiped the blade over her pants to clean it. It went back into the sheath at her ankle as Kara tried to collect her thoughts. "We're on a Cylon Basestar, their weapons are Centurions. I don't know about you but I don't think the metal heads are very portable weapons." She exited the room with Tigh at her heels.

"Fine, then we get to a ship and fly off this heap," he offered up a second suggestion. "You flew one of those raiders; a heavy raider can't be much different."

"Not a bad idea," Kara agreed as she scanned the corridor. "Hopefully less messy too," she added. "We just have to find our way to a flight bay. Any idea what one of those might look like around here?"

Tigh shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Kara sighed. "Well, right now I'm guessing that even if we do find a ship it will be guarded by a couple toasters, or a couple hundred," she took a few steps down the hall until they came to a crossroads.

"I thought you liked a challenge?" he goaded her.

"Love them," Kara nodded. "Hopeless situations on the other hand…" she looked down one corridor and then another. They both looked exactly alike. She turned back to Tigh. "Not a big fan of those," she added.

The colonel looked both ways as well, not seeing anything more than she had. "The old man used to say that anything worth having is never easy," he tried to reason with her. "Lee and your daughter are alive, that should be enough hope to get your head in the game."

She laughed. Kara still couldn't wrap her mind around the idea of Tigh being a cheerleader in her corner. His allegiance to the old man was commendable, if not slightly odd. Of course her relationship to the Adama men was anything but healthy. "In that case, let's go this way," she instructed.

They rounded the first corner after that and came face to face with two Centurions. "Wrong way!" Kara shouted as she and Tigh took off in the other direction. A minute later they stumbled upon another intersection of corridors, this time with three possible paths to choose from. "This ship is a fraking maze, it makes no sense at all," she mumbled as they continued forward a few steps.

"I've felt the same way since I arrived, though I have figured out a few useful paths."

Kara froze. Every muscle in her body tightened as she heard the man's distinctive voice beside her. She turned to face him. "Frak me." Seeing the pleased smile on his face, she instantly regretted her poor choice of words. Kara cringed at the memory of his hands on her. That had been yet another ugly chapter in her and Lee's messed up relationship. Just when things between them had started to look promising, she'd gone off with Gaius Baltar. All of which had been a catalyst for her running off to Caprica. And things had certainly snowballed from there.

"The traitor lives and breaths," Tigh shook his head in disgust as he regarded the squirrelly doctor. He'd run an entire underground operation to fight the Cylons on New Caprica while their president, Baltar, had done nothing to lift a finger against their oppressors. Now he was on their ship, living with them. It made Saul's stomach turn.

Baltar held his head slightly to one side and used his hands as he talked, gesturing to thin air. "We all did what was needed to survive on New Caprica," he replied to the colonel's accusations, his voice defensive and high-pitched. "Working with the Cylons was a necessary evil at the time. I don't see how I can be blamed for what happened."

Kara scoffed at the last part but let it go. "And now?" she questioned. "Why are you still with the Cylons?"

"Because I would be persecuted if I rejoined the fleet," he stated simply.

"At least you got that right," Tigh growled.

The former president of the Colonies frowned as he continued to address Kara rather than Tigh. "I can help you now," he informed her. "Or I can leave you to die," Baltar tried to dismiss the hatred he saw in her eyes. "It's really up to you," he concluded with one last flourish of his hands. He stood silently, adjusting his glasses and looking over his shoulder.

Tigh and Kara exchanged a quick look. Neither one of them was anxious to trust the doctor but they were stuck with little other choice. If he could at least direct them to a ship he'd be useful. Kara shrugged. "Better the devil you know?"

The colonel was less than thrilled about following any devil's lead but was bound by a sense of duty to follow the commander. "Lead the way," he motioned for Baltar to proceed.

Kara walked behind the doctor and Tigh took up the rear, glancing over his shoulder periodically. He didn't like trailing after a traitor and he liked even less that the only weapon between the three of them was one knife, already bloodied by a skin job. There was no telling how many Cylons were aboard the ship, though they hadn't seen many. He had a feeling their sparse numbers were part of some plan to lull them into a false sense of security.

Sure enough, his instincts were spot-on. As they rounded the next corner they came upon a group of two Centurions and three skin jobs, the ones they knew as D'Anna, Leoben and one of the Sixes. Starbuck eyed the Leoben model and somehow discerned that he was not the one she'd just killed. She wondered, though, if they were all as obsessed with her as the other.

"I told you they'd be nothing but trouble," the Six lashed out without warning and threw Kara against a bulkhead. "Did you think I'd forgotten our encounter on Caprica?" she asked Starbuck. "We Cylons don't forget anything."

Kara laughed, pulling herself up. "You're not very hospitable either. Do you treat all your guests this well, or am I just special?" she asked with a wink of her left eye, just before punching the female Cylon in the stomach.

Six sprang back at her, hands going straight for Kara's neck. She squeezed down hard on Starbuck's windpipe. "Stop it!" Baltar came to the Six's side and put a hand on the Cylon's forearm. "You can't kill her, she's important to all of this," he insisted.

A gasp of breath escaped Kara's throat after the Cylon released her. She regarded the Six, who looked angry but also a bit jealous in regard to Baltar's actions. Kara felt her stomach flop. She really didn't want to know what that was all about.

"This is getting us nowhere," D'Anna took control of the situation, calling an end to the fight. She quickly organized the centurions to guard Tigh and Kara as they were marched to the basestar's control center. Once inside, D'Anna guided Kara to a table that housed a vast array of star charts. "Show us where Earth is," she instructed.

"I'd rather die," Kara's voice was raspy as she rubbed her sore neck.

"That can be arranged," the Six replied with a smile on her face.

D'Anna rolled her eyes at the continued banter. "There will be no killing of anyone right now," she aimed her words toward the Six then turned back to Kara. "Show us where earth is," she demanded again, though her tone held no hint of forcefulness. "There will be something in it for you," she added.

Kara wrinkled her nose at the woman. There was a secret behind D'Anna's eyes that worried her a great deal. "You don't have anything I want," she replied.

All three Cylons in the room smiled in unison. Tigh and Kara were both sufficiently unnerved. The feeling promptly slipped away as Kara spotted another woman entering the room. Her mouth hung open for a moment before she could get a word out. "Julia?" she shook her head, confused as to what was going on. Little Kasey was in the woman's arms and a Simon model stood guard beside them.

"You know her?" Tigh asked.

"Yes," Starbuck nodded. Lee had taken her to meet Kasey just after they'd left with their half of the fleet toward Earth. She'd talked to the girl's mother and had gotten along well with her and Kasey. Kara looked to D'Anna. "How did you get them here? _Why_ are they here?"

"Someone aboard Pegasus brought them to us while Leoben secured your passage," D'Anna answered he questions without pause. "If you give us Earth, if you help us win this battle, you can take her," she motioned toward the girl who looked a little frightened by what was going on around her.

Simon forcefully pried Kasey out of Julia's arms, adding to the child's uncomfortable mood. "Why are you doing this?" Julia asked, helpless against their efforts to keep her from Kasey. She looked to Starbuck. "I don't understand… I…"

A shot rang out through the chamber, silencing Julia's question. Kara watched in horror as the young woman fell face-forward to the floor of the Cylon ship, blood seeping from a wound in her back. One of the Doral models stood behind her with a gun in his hand. D'Anna rushed him and removed his weapon. She clearly hadn't condoned his use of violence.

Kara was somewhat intrigued by the apparent slip of unity in the Cylon group. But her attention was diverted elsewhere as she looked down at Julia. The woman's eyes were still open, her head turned and focused on Kara. "Why?" her voice was a whisper. Starbuck didn't care about the centurions standing guard. She went to the woman, kneeling down beside her. Kara put a hand to the wound, hoping to stop some of the bleeding.

"I'm sorry," Kara chocked on the words, knowing it was hopeless as she watched Julia's eyes close. All she could do was hold the woman's hand as she slipped away. Kara looked up at the Cylons who were all still standing there, just watching without trying to help. "Why?" she asked, repeating Julia's unanswered question as she stood. "Why?!"

"She outgrew her usefulness," Simon replied simply, looking down at the woman with a clinical expression. He stepped closer to Kara and she could see tears in the eyes of the child he held. Kasey was obviously an innocent pawn in their latest game, but Kara still had no idea what the new game was all about.

"Outgrew her usefulness?" she was disgusted. Thoughts of Joey filled her head. She couldn't imagine any child having to live through such a horrible thing as seeing a parent killed. "You just shot a child's mother and that's all you have to say?" Anger coursed through her veins.

"I have to agree with Captain Thrace," Baltar spoke up for the first time since they'd entered the command chamber. "This is all rather puzzling and seemingly unnecessary…" Six promptly pulled him to the outer circle of the room, cutting off his protest in mid-sentence.

Simon smiled as he ran a hand over the child's head. "Julia was not her mother. We made her believe that," he replied with a look that reminded Kara of the Leoben model that she'd killed just a few minutes ago. "She was a surrogate, a placeholder, until you could be with Kasey again," he locked eyes with Kara as he spoke. "She's _your_ daughter," he revealed. "If you help us, you save your child."

Silence befell the room for a long moment. Even Baltar was stymied. Then Kara's laughter slowly filled the awkward void. Tigh wasn't sure what to make of the situation as he watched and listened. He'd heard rumors of Lee being held and the Cylons trying to convince him of a child belonging to Kara. Now that he saw the girl in question, he had to admit there was a slight resemblance to Starbuck.

"You tried this trick once," Kara finally recovered. She tried to wipe Julia's blood off her hands as she looked around the room at each Cylon face. "For thinking yourselves to be so superior to Humans, you're not very original," she shook her head and the laughter faded. "Really, I'm kind of disappointed."

The Simon model brought Kasey closer and it was all Kara could do not to grab the girl and run. Whoever she was, she didn't deserve to be with the Cylons. "Lee's friend," the girl spoke, clearly searching for something familiar in the foreign setting. "Lee sing with me again?" she asked hopefully. Kara remembered hearing Lee sing to Joey. The memory brought a small smile to her lips. And the thought that he'd taken such good care of Kasey made her miss him even more. But her thoughts soon returned to the fact that the child in Simon's arms couldn't be hers.

"You have no proof," Kara told him.

"No," he agreed. "Any proof we gave you, you would dismiss. You have to find your proof in her eyes," Simon insisted. "Just look at her and you'll know."

"This is ridiculous, I've seen her before." Kara was beyond exasperated by their games. Just minutes ago she'd told Leoben to stop using innocent people to try and get to her. Now Julia was dead and her daughter was an orphan, all because they wanted her.

"Look," he was adamant.

Kara exhaled a puff of breath and slapped her hands loudly against her thighs. She decided to give in to their collective insanity, hoping to buy enough time to work out an escape plan. "Fine, I'll look," she stared at the girl for a second. Kara noted Kasey's fine hair, blonde and slightly curly. Hers had been curly like that when she was younger, but the same could be said of a lot of kids.

There were a half-dozen other features that reflected Kara's appearance, all of which could be coincidence as well. She had to give them credit; they'd done a good job finding Julia and Kasey. Starbuck shook off the thoughts, ready to tell them again of their stupid ploy. But something made her stop as Kasey turned and stared at her.

Starbuck swallowed a lump in her throat as her mind went spinning to the past. Again she recalled the long day that she'd spent with her father on a beach in Caprica City when she was about five or six years old. Kara had been so tired by the end of the day that her father had lifted her up into his arms and carried her home. She remembered clinging to him as a foreboding sense of loss washed over her. He'd been gone the next morning and Kara hadn't seen him since, until now, in the eyes of a little girl. Kasey's sad smile looked exactly like his had that day they'd walked along the beach.

"What do you see?" Simon asked, detecting a shift in her persona.

She didn't answer him, not knowing what anything she saw or felt meant. Instead she turned to the D'Anna model and went to the star chart beside the woman. Kara had no idea what was going on but she had to give them something. "This system," she quickly brought up Earth's galaxy on the map. "This planet, right here," she pointed out; hoping Lee and the others would be in place.

"Starbuck, no!" Tigh yelled.

The Cylons wasted no time, each going to some sort of duty station. D'Anna immersed her left hand into a pool of pinkish colored liquid. "Jumping, now," the words were barely out of her mouth as the entire ship folded in on it's self.

When the basestar pulled out of the jump, Tigh made his way over to Kara, looking furious. "They were bound to find it anyway," she shrugged.

He balled up his right hand and punched her.

**xxx**

"Dradis contact!" Gaeta relayed. "I'm reading one Cylon basestar just off our port brow."

"This is it," Laura stood beside the admiral in CIC. She looked to him, trying to gauge what his action would be. She knew that Kara Thrace meant a lot to him, but she also knew he took his duty to the Colonial fleet very seriously. And there was Earth to consider now; a possible new home just within reach. It wasn't a choice they could make lightly.

"Cylons have opened fire and are launching Raiders," a female officer reported.

"Launch Viper's, all squadrons," the Admiral instructed. "And ready nuclear warhead for FTL jump," Adama made the decision quickly, but not without regret. All he could hope was that Kara wasn't on that ship. And if she was, then he'd try to seek forgiveness till his dying day. He looked to Gaeta. "Do you have the coordinates?"

The lieutenant nodded.

"Admiral, don't you dare jump that weapon!"

Adama spun around to find Lee standing in the doorway of the CIC. "You're meant to be guarding Earth," he seethed.

"Helo and Hoshi are there," Lee moved in closer.

Steam practically rose from the old man's nostrils, which flared their anger toward his son. "Helo and Hoshi are not the Commander of Pegasus. Now get back to your ship!" Adama shouted as the rest of the room watched the scene in silence.

"No," Lee stood his ground. "Kara could be on that basestar and you know it."

"All I know is that we need that ship destroyed; the sooner the better." Adama moved toward Lee so that he was just inched away. "Kara made her choice. She knew the risk. I'm sorry," he looked over his shoulder to Gaeta. "Is the jump drive ready?"

"Yes, sir," he replied. "Waiting for your order."

Lee grabbed his father's wrist. "Dad, don't do this," he pleaded. He hadn't been able to get through to Kara but he wasn't going to give up so easily with his old man. "Please."

"Engage FTL and jump, now!" Adama ordered.

"No!" Lee screamed. But it was too late.

"Weapon jump complete," Gaeta relayed a second later.

The admiral continued to relay orders, trying not to acknowledge the completely destroyed look on Lee's face. "Prepare to remote detonate as soon as weapon position is confirmed," he instructed.

"Telemetry reports already show that weapon is in place aboard the basestar," Gaeta noted the first successful jump of Earth's miniaturized FTL drive. "Preparing remote detonation now," he relayed.

"No you're not," Lee pushed Gaeta aside, along with his frustration. If the old man wasn't going to lift a finger then he'd take matters into his own hands. It only took him a second to type a set of command subroutines into the panel. He fled CIC the moment he was done.

"He's overridden the detonation sequence," Gaeta retook his duty station. "It's going to take several minutes to break through."

"Do it," Adama growled. He looked to Roslin, shaking his head as he stormed after his son. The old man huffed as he jogged down Galactica's main corridor. He had a pretty good idea where his son was headed and caught up to him on the flight deck like he'd expected. Both of them were nearly out of breath as they faced off again. "Commander Adama!" there was enough air left in his lungs for one good shout. "Where do you think you're going?"

Lee stood beside the Raptor that he and Sneak had piloted over from Pegasus. Two armed Marines were with him, getting ready to board the vessel. Adama recognized them as Sam Anders and Jean Barolay; two of the fleet's newest recruits who had taken an accelerated training course while en route to Earth. "I'm going over to that basestar to get Kara back."

"You will do no such thing."

The younger Adama would not be thwarted again. He stood toe-to-toe with his father. "Do you remember when Kara was lost on that moon?" Lee took a deep breath. "When it was all over you said that if it had been me, you'd never leave. Why dad, why wouldn't you leave me behind?"

"Because I love you," the answer came without thought. "You're family."

"And I love Kara," Lee replied. "No matter what she's done. I don't always like her and some days I hate her, but I'll always love her," he insisted. "You said she still didn't understand what it meant to be part of a family. Well, I plan to show her. You don't leave family behind."

Adama understood about following one's heart, he wasn't made of stone. But every instinct inside was telling him to protect his son. "I can not allow you to do this. You will return to Pegasus this instant, that is my final order," he didn't want to lose Kara any more than his son did. But more than that, he didn't want to lose Lee again.

The younger Adama exhaled sharply. "If that's the way it's going to be, then I don't take orders from you any more," he removed Kara's command insignia from his jacket and tossed it onto the floor at the old man's feet. "I quit."

**xxx**

"There's one battlestar and several civilian craft in orbit around a large planet," D'Anna reported as they scrambled their raiders and began an assault. "Launch raiders and target the battlestar. The civilian ships are no threat to us at this point," she relayed her orders.

Tigh noticed that the Cylons all seemed preoccupied, as he'd hoped. He crouched down beside Kara. "I know you didn't give up Earth," he whispered to her. "But I thought it might be a good distraction to pretend there was dissention in our ranks. I had to make it look as real as possible."

Kara had one knee on the floor, her other foot poised and ready to stand. She massaged her sore jaw. "I don't know how real it _looked_," her voice was still a bit hoarse from the Six's attempt to choke her. "But it _felt_ plenty real," she glared at him.

The colonel was just a little sorry for what he'd done but he'd do it again if he thought it necessary. Tigh regarded the room's occupants and his eyes fell to Simon and the girl he still held. "Do you think she's your kid?" he finally asked.

"I don't know what to think any more," Kara sighed.

"Regardless, she's coming with us, isn't she?" Tigh didn't really need an answer to the question. He could see the affirmative reply reflected in her eyes. "Okay, I'll take Simon, you grab the kid and we run."

"We run?" Kara asked. "That's your plan?"

"You have a better one?"

Kara realized she didn't and they had no time to think of one. She was on her feet in a second. Tigh had his fists clenched, ready for action. He followed through with his promise and attacked Simon from behind. Starbuck plucked Kasey from the Cylon doctor just as he was about to lose his hold on the girl. Simon and Tigh continued to duke it out as Doral advanced toward Kara.

Starbuck set the child down near the main command table. "Kasey, I need you to stay right here. Do not move," she instructed as she backhanded Doral and grabbed his left arm. She twisted it behind his back until it made a satisfying snap. Then she pushed him across the room so that he collided with the Leoben model that stood beside Baltar. Baltar yelped as he sidestepped the falling duo. He watched as both their heads cracked against the metal decking, leaving them unconscious.

Just when she thought she was making progress, the two centurions moved in closer. Kara wasted no time reaching for her knife and slashed at their metal arms. Small bolts of electricity sparked along her blade and sent a shock to her hand but she didn't back down. One got a hold of her from behind and the other finally took her weapon. A metal hand struck repeated blows as the other continued to pin her arms behind her back. Kara realized that they weren't trying to use any sort of deadly force and she had to hope they still wanted her alive. It was certainly something she could use to her advantage.

Tigh backed Simon up against the command table and was vaguely aware of the girl standing there. He pushed her presence aside as he concentrated on the fight. Simon was strong but Tigh was scrappy and he managed to duck a lot of punches. But Simon finally got in a good one that sent the colonel flying. His hands reached out to brace the inevitable collision with the command table. As he landed, one hand sunk into the pool of pink liquid that he'd seen D'Anna use as a means to control the ship.

For a second Tigh thought he'd blacked out, but then he started to see images that he couldn't explain. There was a tangle of wires and conduit in his field of vision, then corridors and bulkheads as he seemed to be traveling very quickly through the Cylon ship. Finally the confusion settled into the picture of a large chamber, dark except for a shimmering pool in the middle that was cast in a bright white light. A Humanoid form resided in the pool, hooked to dozens of wires, eyes closed and speaking in a female voice. Her eyes suddenly shot open and stared up at him.

"Colonel Tigh!"

Saul jolted back to the reality of the command chamber, finding himself on the floor. He looked down at his left hand and saw that it was covered in the pink viscous liquid. Simon was unconscious beside him and so was D'Anna. Tigh got to his feet and looked around to see that Starbuck was standing in the middle of the room with one of the centurion's arm guns in her hand.

"Turns out the metal heads _are_ useful as weapons," she dropped the item to the floor and looked around at the scene. Doral, Leoben, Simon and D'Anna were laying at their feet. And the two centurions looked like a pile of scrap metal. But Baltar and the Six were missing, as was Kasey. Kara felt her heart sink at the realization.

"We need to go," Tigh faced her toward the exit.

"I'm not leaving her," Kara moved around the space in a haze, turning over broken items and bodies. She went to Julia, wondering if the girl was perhaps curled up beside her mother, but she found no sign of the child. She momentarily wondered if it had all been a dream. But Julia's dead gaze, the blood on her hands and the Cylon bodies made her think otherwise.

"Come on!" the colonel shouted as he physically pulled her out the doorway. "We need to regroup. This place will be crawling with more of them any second, you can count on that. We need to fall back somewhere and then figure out our next move," he continued to march her down one long corridor.

Kara finally managed to pull away from Tigh's grip as they rounded another corner. She was about to turn around and head back to the command chamber when two figures came rushing toward them with guns raised. Tigh held up his hands toward them, recognizing the uniforms. It took Kara a second longer to realize who it was. "Lee?" She felt her whole body relax just a little. Kara noticed Sam standing beside him in marine garb and wasn't all that surprised. She looked to Lee again, not sure what to expect.

"Nice to see you're not dead," his reply was sincere but lacked real emotion. She could hear the damage she'd done reflected in his tone.

"You shouldn't be here," her thoughts instantly came to the realization that the Cylons would have one more thing to hold against her if they managed to capture them all.

"Why, because you have everything under control?" Lee's voice was still cold as he reached out and ran a finger over the bruises that were beginning to form on her neck. He pulled his hand back and his eyes remained unyielding. "Did you know that the Admiral jumped a nuclear weapon onto this ship a few minutes ago using a tiny FTL drive that the Earthers developed while we were gone?" he asked. "Do you know that he was just about to detonate that weapon before I stopped him?"

Kara was sufficiently chastised. "So maybe I _didn't_ have things under control."

"You admit you were wrong?" Lee was surprised. "There's a change."

"You're angry," she noted.

"You're damn right I'm angry," he shot back. "And if it wasn't for Joey, I might have let the admiral blow you out of the sky." Lee knew it wasn't true but at the moment, all he wanted was too hurt her as much as she'd hurt him by leaving. "Let's just get off this ship, okay?"

Under any other circumstances, Kara would have wholeheartedly agreed. But Kasey's sad smile flashed in her mind and Kara knew that she couldn't leave. "No, I have to go back," she turned toward the direction they'd just come.

"Back?" Lee grabbed her arm, a little harder than necessary. "Why in the worlds would you want to go back?"

"Because of…"

"Captain Thrace!" it was Baltar who came into view half way down the corridor, shouting and waving one hand in the air. Kara realized that his other hand was holding on to Kasey. He reached down and picked the child up, allowing him self to move more quickly toward their position.

"What's going on?" Lee holstered his weapon and took Kasey from Baltar as soon as they were close enough. He glared at the former president as the little girl latched on to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and her legs over his waist.

"Sing?" her tiny voice whispered in his ear.

Lee ran a protective hand along her back. "Not right now," he whispered in reply to her request. "Kara, what's going on?"

She didn't answer right away, looking around for any sign of the Six that had seemed so bent on killing her earlier. Seeing nothing she turned back to the group. "I'll explain everything later." With Kasey safe in Lee's arms, she jumped into command mode again. "Sam, take him," she waved a hand in Baltar's direction and the marine happily put a gun to the man's back as he grabbed him by the collar. "I assume you have a ship close?" she looked to Lee for an answer and he nodded. "Then let's get out of here."

"Good, because this place is starting to give me the creeps," Sam commented as he shoved Baltar along in front of him.

Tigh looked over his shoulder as he followed the others. "Me too," he mumbled to himself.

**xxx**

Adama re-entered the CIC with a heavy heart. He'd let Lee go, not able to fight the boy any more. A part of him hoped his son would find what he was looking for. But the reality was that he may have just lost both his children again. He locked eyes with Laura and had a feeling she knew what had happened. "He's gone after her," she voiced the words aloud.

He nodded then shook his head at her, a sign that he was not interested in getting into the details of what had transpired between them. "Report," he turned to his officers.

"Sir, it's going to take just a few more minutes to active our detonation codes," Gaeta relayed with a note of frustration. "But General Mason says he's got a nuke ready and will fire on your order."

The decision came quick and the old man picked up the wireless phone. "This is Admiral Adama to all ships, continue attack but target only the exterior of the basestar. I repeat, do not destroy that ship unless I give the order."

"How long do you think we can hold them off?" Roslin asked.

"Not long," he sighed, leaning heavily against the command table.

"Admiral, I have Lee on the line!" Dualla announced.

The old man's eyes lit up and his heart rose into his throat. He didn't think he could handle much more excitement. "Put him through," he nodded for the woman to patch the communication through the overhead speakers. "This is Galactica actual," he used a formal greeting, still upset by his son's actions.

"I have them," Lee's voice crackled over the comm. "We're even heavy a few passengers. Fire at will," he concluded.

Adama didn't have time to be grateful. "Get back to Pegasus," he ordered before breaking the connection. He turned to Gaeta. "Detonate that weapon," he gave the final order.

Galactica rocked from the reverb of a large blast. "Basestar has been destroyed," Gaeta happily relayed the news. Cheers went up around the room but they were short lived. "Dradis contact!" the lieutenant shouted, causing the room to grow silent again. "Scratch that, multiple contacts detected," he glanced at the screen.

"How many?" Adama asked, bracing himself for the worst.

"Reading, six basestars," Gaeta replied. He blinked and looked back down at the screen. More red blips had appeared. "No, ten basestars," his voice was heavy. The dradis flashed again and two more signals popped up. "Correction, twelve basestars."

Laura put a hand to her mouth. Adama gritted his teeth. "Now the real battle for Earth begins," he breathed.

* * *

**To Be Continued…**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe; television shows or tie-in books.

Sorry this took so long to finish!

* * *

**Wing and a Prayer  
**Part 18

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

The old man clenched his teeth. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the edge of the CIC table. "Prometheus has taken on extensive damage. She's jumping to a retreat point to see if they can fix anything." Adama craned his neck and watched the small blip, representing the Prometheus, disappear from dradis. He continued to listen to the reports coming in. None of it was good news. Twelve Basestars had jumped into orbit around the planet, Jupiter, but they'd only managed to successfully jump one weapon, destroying one Basestar. The others had jumped away seconds after that. They'd been playing a game of cat and mouse with Galactica ever since. One or two would jump in and launch a few raiders. They'd be gone again before Galactica or any of the other fleet ships could get an accurate jump coordinate.

He looked to Roslin and shook his head. "We had the element of surprise and we lost it." One balled fist slammed down upon the table. The admiral knew it wasn't necessary to point blame. They all knew it was because they'd waited for Lee Adama to rescue Kara Thrace; because _he_ had waited. The survival of the colonist wasn't meant to be about two people but it always seemed to come back to them.

"We don't have time to dwell on what happened," Roslin was quick to respond. She eased her way toward him, getting close for the first time since the battle had begun. Her hand rested gently atop his, but the contact only lasted briefly. They were still at war and needed to maintain an air of decorum among their officers. "Can we keep up this fighting or should we retreat?" her words were low, spoken for his ears only.

His head dropped a little. "We can't go back to Earth. That's our only hope, that they haven't detected Earth yet."

"Dradis contact!" Gaeta shouted. "I'm reading five Basestars this time. They're launching more raiders." It seemed the Cylons always had a surplus of fighters. It was a daunting task to fight an enemy that never really died. "Mason reports that he almost has a lock on one of them, we're working on another…" the room waited for a long moment. "Another Basestar has been destroyed," Gaeta confirmed. "But remaining four hostiles have jumped away. We couldn't get a lock." It was a small victory but they'd take what they could get.

Adama turned to Roslin again. He was grateful to have her near. Her presence of strength was a comfort and a source of renewal. "I think our answer is no, they haven't found Earth yet," he continued their earlier conversation. "If they had, they wouldn't still be playing this game."

"Sir," a female officer interrupted. "Hermes and the Monarch are also retreating to attempt repairs."

Both leaders let the news sink in. "With those two out as well, that only leaves one third of the ships we armed for this battle," Roslin voiced her concern.

The Admiral nodded. "That's what happens when you have sedentary ships in the sky; passenger ships, cargo ships. None of them were meant for this. They have no business being out here with nothing better than jump capable nukes that were never tested in this sort of combat situation before," he sighed. "In theory, it was a great plan. But only if your enemy remains stationary," the old man shook his head. He'd known the odds were against them from the start, but he hated to admit defeat.

"So, do we keep fighting?" Roslin revisited her earlier question.

"We keep fighting," he replied. "Earth is it, our last hope. We stop now, we die."

**xxx**

Kara kept her distance from Lee. He walked several paces ahead of her with little Kasey in his arms. They'd arrived safely on Pegasus moments ago and were headed toward CIC to find out what was going on with Galactica. Tigh walked in step with her but was rather silent. They both wore bloody cuts and scrapes from their earlier encounter with the Cylons. She had the added bonus of some nasty bruises that had formed on her neck. They hurt plenty, but pain was the least of her concerns at the moment as she regarded Tigh.

"What happened on that ship?" she finally asked, her voice kept low so the other couldn't hear. Lee was still far enough ahead of them, and Sam and Jean had veered off to deposit Baltar in the ship's brig.

Tigh didn't look at her. He kept his eyes forward. "What do you mean, you fought the Cylons and you won," it seemed simple enough to him. "I knew you still had some fight left in you."

Kara shook her head. "You don't remember, do you?"

"Remember what?" the Colonel finally glanced over at her. "All I know is that I got knocked unconscious for a minute or two and when I came back around, I found that you'd subdued two bullet heads."

"Except that I didn't," Kara admitted. It felt strange talking to him so easily; admitting to the small degree of defeat that she'd felt back on that Basestar. "I was pinned. Even the mighty Starbuck can't take out two toasters with those odds against her. One second they were coming at me with metal fists, the next second it was like someone just pulled a switch on them," she explained.

He froze as he listened to her account of what had happened. The memory of his experience on the Cylon ship flooded back. His hand had made contact with the pink Cylon liquid and there had been an odd vision. Tigh still hadn't been able to make sense of what had happened there. He wondered if it was somehow possible that he'd caused the Cylons to stop working. It seemed rather implausible, though. But he knew Starbuck had gutted and flown a Cylon raider without prior knowledge of its systems. He shook the conflicting thoughts from his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Neither do I," Kara whispered as they reached CIC.

"Commander Thrace," Yuri Laika was the first to greet Kara. He closed the small distance between them and shook her hand, while patting her on the back in a jovial manner. "I knew that I would see you again," he spoke. "We have a Russian saying that is something along the lines of, too stubborn to die," the man laughed heartily.

She couldn't help the small smile that pulled at the corners of her mouth. Seeing her Earth friend again was something she thought might never come to pass. "I hear Earth has been busy." On the shuttle ride back, Sam had explained to her about Yuri serving as an Earth liaison officer aboard Pegasus. He'd also gone into further detail about the FTL drives that Lee had mentioned briefly.

Yuri nodded, and there was a note of pride in the way he carried himself as he walked over to the nearby console. He grabbed an object from the table's surface and returned to place its shiny casing in her hand. "Your president, Roslin, she was quite impressed by our miniature FTL. But we would never have created it if not for a woman named Kara Thrace who persisted in her attempts to open our eyes to the coming threat."

It was Kara's turn to feel proud, though she knew she hadn't done it alone. Without Helo, Sharon and Lee's support, she didn't think Earth would have given her half a chance. She looked over to see Lee and Helo in conference with Hoshi. Lee was still holding Kasey in his arms, clearly not ready to let go of the child. She was grateful for Lee's protectiveness of the girl. Kara hoped he could deal with the truth, what ever it turned out to be.

Helo excused himself from the other two men and crushed Kara in a hug that lifted her off the metal decking of the floor. "Good to have you back."

Starbuck nodded, trying not to wince at the pain his and Yuri's excitable greetings had caused her weary body. "Good to be back," she agreed as Helo set her down. "What is Galactica's status? Can we monitor the battle?" She instantly rolled back into command.

"We have several Raptor teams watching the action for us," Helo answered. "But they haven't reported back yet."

"You should have let me return to Galactica," Tigh interrupted. "I'm no good at sitting around."

Lee rejoined them. "You need to get to the infirmary," he intoned, staring pointedly at the Colonel. "So do Kara and Kasey. I want you all checked out by doc Cottle."

His continued avoidance of her presence did not go unnoticed, but Kara was interested in something he'd said. "Cottle is on Pegasus?" she questioned the news.

Helo nodded in answer. He could see that Lee was being cold to her so he played his role as the expert go-between. "The old man wanted him here so that they could call on him when there was wounded. Adama didn't want him on the front lines," he concluded.

Kara looked to Lee but he turned his head just as she tried to make eye contact. It was clear he was still upset with her, and she couldn't really blame him, not after what she'd done before, going off with the Cylons. "I'll take Kasey," she offered, wanting Cottle to find out as soon as possible if the child was hers or not. Kara wanted the truth on her side if she happened to find herself taken by the Cylons again.

Lee looked at the little girl in his arms. "I'll take her," he said as he brushed by Kara and moved toward the exit.

Tigh stepped into Lee's path. "You can order me to the med bay if you like, but I'd rather stay here and be the first to hear when word comes in from Galactica."

"Fine," Lee easily let the matter go as he continued toward the corridor. Kara pocketed the FTL device that Yuri had given her, wanting to study it closely later. At the moment she had more important things on her mind. She took after Lee at a quick pace to keep up. It seemed best not to try and talk to him for the time being, so she trailed behind, wondering if there would ever be a way to get into his good graces again. They reached the med bay shortly, and found it eerily quiet. Cottle greeted them with his usual dry disposition.

"Sit," he instructed Kara with no other note of compassion. The doc cleaned her cuts and bandaged the larger wounds, allowing her to grimace as he smothered the bloody injuries with antiseptic. He examined her neck closely. "No bones appear to have been broken; I'd say you got lucky. There's not much I can do for bruising." When he was done with her he turned his attention to the girl. "She looks familiar. I think she was in here with her mother after the New Caprica exodus," he noted.

"Her mother is dead," Kara didn't bother trying to sugar coat the news. She watched as Lee's eyes filled with sorrow. He and Cottle listened to her explain what had happened, at least the part about Kasey witnessing her mother's death. After a brief exam, Cottle turned to Kara and Lee again. "I don't see any physical wounds. I imagine the trauma she's been through hasn't been a picnic but other than that she seems fine. Unless there's something I'm missing?"

Kara looked from Cottle to Lee and then down at Kasey. "I need you to do a blood test, DNA," Kara finally let the words form. "After the Cylons killed her mother… killed Julia," she took a deep breath, and looked up to find Lee's eyes on her for the first time. "They claimed that Kasey was mine again, and I want to know the truth." Starbuck turned to Cottle. "I don't trust many people, but I know you'll do this right."

Nothing more was said as Cottle obediently took blood from both patients. By the time he was done with Kara, Kasey had fallen asleep on the exam bed. "Since there's been no news from Galactica yet, I'll do this right now," Cottle informed them, sensing Starbuck's urgency. "I should have an answer shortly."

She was somewhat surprised that it would be done so soon, but also relieved. "I need to make a call," Lee excused himself for a moment. When he returned, the silence followed him back. They stood on opposite sides of Kasey's bed, both concerned for the child. Kara rubbed the base of her neck, trying to work out some of the tension. But the bruising made it difficult. She tried to think of something to pass the time but the silence between her and Lee was too much.

"I fraked up," she decided to make the first move. "I screwed up, okay. Is that what you want me to say?"

The angry damn inside him began to crack a little. "No," he replied, disappointment still reflected in his tone. "You didn't screw up Kara. You bought us the time we needed to get Earth involved, to set our ships in place and learn about the FTL weapons. You did what you thought was best and you were right," he took a few steps closer and looked her in the eyes again. "But, the mistake you keep making is thinking you have to do it alone. You are not an island, Kara Thrace. There are people on this ship who care about you, people on Galactica that feel the same way and folks on Earth too. You're not alone in this fight, Kara. We all want an end to this just as much as you do, but we need to do it together."

Kara shook her head, not knowing what else she could say. "I'm sorry."

"I believe you," Lee was not unsympathetic, but still slightly guarded. The tense lines in his forehead eased a bit more as he really took a moment to look at her. She was wounded and haggard but her fighting spirit, the fundamental driving force behind Kara Thrace, was still alive and kicking. He loved that, though it was usually the source of his constant disgust with her as well. "But as much as I believe that what you did was right, it still hurts," he let her know. "You have a family to think about. Joey depends on you. I depend on you. What you did tore us apart."

She bit her bottom lip, taking his words to heart. "Are you going to keep her away from me?"

"Who?"

"Joey," she whispered her daughter's name. All she'd wanted since she'd set foot back aboard Pegasus was to find the baby and hold her. It was killing her going through the motions of taking care of command business. "I understand if you can't stand to be around me, but I…"

His heart finally succumbed to her, like it always did, despite how hard he tried to fight it. "Kara, no," Lee shook his head and placed his hands upon her shoulders. It was the first physical contact he'd made. "I would never keep her from you, how could you even ask that?"

She shrugged, trying to hold back a lifetime of pent up emotions. "Everyone leaves… one way or another."

Lee couldn't help smiling even though it was perhaps the least likely thing he should have done. She never failed to evoke the wrong emotions inside him. But it was the way she brought the right ones to the surface that made up for all the other craziness. "So, Kara Thrace's motto is to leave them first?" he shook his head at her. "I love you, Kara. Maybe that makes me a fool," he shrugged. "All I know is that when I'm not with you, I can't think straight. And when I am with you… I can't think straight."

A soft chuckle escaped her throat. "I love you too, Lee. But it seems like every time we come close to getting our act together, I manage to mess it up somehow."

He couldn't stand being so far away from her for another second. Lee pulled her against him and her head rested on his shoulder, feeling at home there. "You're not the only one good at messing up, Kara." He tried to reassure her. Lee knew that they'd both managed to screw things up many times over in their long and tumultuous relationship. He kissed the top of her head. "It's just going to take a whole lot more work."

Kara nodded her head against his shoulder. "Anything worth a damn is never easy," she replied.

He pulled back a little, still keeping her close as he smiled down at her. "You've been talking to my father, haven't you?"

"No," she shook her head. "Colonel Tigh, actually." They both had a good laugh at that.

"Commander Adama," a demur female voice interrupted the moment and Kara looked up instantly. She recognized the source and smiled broadly as she spotted Yuri's wife, Anna, standing just inside the med bay's main entrance. More than she was pleased to see the familiar face of another friend, she was overjoyed to see the little girl that Anna was holding. Joey's eyes grew brighter as she spotted Kara. Her pale, chubby arms reached out for her mother and Kara happily obliged the child, drawing her close and kissing her on the cheek. Kara tickled her tummy and delighted in the smile that bloomed upon her daughter's face. "It is good to see you again," Anna let Starbuck know just before she slipped quietly out of the room, leaving the others to their reunion.

Starbuck was completely absorbed in Joey for several minutes, looking the girl over to make sure that she was all right. More kisses were pressed tenderly upon the girl's forehead and her cheeks. Joey squealed amiably as she reveled in the contact with her mother. There was innocent forgiveness in the child's eyes. Kara looked over at Lee who was watching them both closely. "That's who you called?" she asked.

"Yes," Lee replied. "I would never keep you away from her," he ran a hand over his daughter's soft hair. His action was interrupted by the sound of Kasey moving about on the medical bed beside them. She sat up and flashed him a sleepy grin. Only two other females in his life had been able to steal his heart so completely with similar smiles, now they were all in one place, together. Lee rested his hand on Kasey's head then turned to face Kara again. "She's lost the only parent she's ever known. Even if the Cylons are still lying, I think we should watch over her."

"I had a feeling you might suggest that."

"Is that okay with you?" He was surprised to see her nod in agreement, but relieved. "Then we need to understand each other. We can't fight just to survive any longer, it's not enough. We need to fight this battle in the hopes of living, to protect them, to raise them on a world where they'll be safe," he insisted.

Kara listened and recalled the conversation she'd had with Adama not long after he'd first learned of Joey's existence. Starbuck had told the old man that she'd never had anything worth living for before. Now she had a family, Lee and two little girls. It was a completely ridiculous thought that the four of them would ever find a small moment of peace to share together, but she'd never been one to back down from ridiculous causes before. "We fight to live," she agreed.

Cottle cleared his throat, alerting them to his presence. He held a closed folder in his right hand. "Your answer."

She transferred Joey to Lee's waiting arms and took the file from Cottle. The doc left them to it and Kara tried to keep her hands from shaking as she opened the file and read the results. She let the papers fall to the ground as her hands balled into tight fists. Lee watched helplessly as she turned on her heel and dashed out the exit. He sighed in frustration, shifting Joey to one side as he helped Kasey hop down off the bed. He held the toddler's hand and secured Joey with his other arm as they rushed after Kara.

"Hey!" he shouted after her, trailing behind by several yards. "Kara! Would you please stop, I can't keep up here," he pleaded with her. Lee was glad when he saw her slow and then stop completely. "Where are you going?" he asked with concern evident in his tone, as he reached her. Even with her back turned to him, he could tell she was furious. Lee hadn't read the file, he didn't know if she was angry over Kasey being her child or the Cylons tricking them again.

Starbuck turned around. "I'm going to kill every last one of them," she relayed with calm sincerity.

"I know you must be upset…"

"Upset?" Kara scoffed at the comment. "No, Lee. Upset is when you spill your last swig of ambrosia on the flight deck. Or when you lose a game of Triad to some wet-behind-the-ears nugget," she explained, turning her attention to Kasey. "The Cylons created a child, Lee. _My _child. I am so far beyond upset, I can't even…" she dipped her head, shaking it from side to side as she tried to compose her anger.

Lee had confirmation. It turned his stomach for a second, but only due to the thought of what they must have done to create Kara's kid. When he looked down at Kasey he saw nothing but an innocence child, the same little girl that he'd comforted and sang to in a Cylon prison. He reached out and took Kara's right hand in his, squeezing it softly. "We just talked about this, Kara. Please don't go off and do something stupid again. Let me help you work this out," he pleaded with her.

His hand against hers was the catalyst that brought her tears. As strong as everyone kept insisting that she was, she still had a breaking point. And the Cylons knew exactly what it was. Somehow they knew that family and friendship was her greatest weakness and they were using it to get what they wanted. It's why she'd tried to push everyone away, why she'd avoided her feelings for Lee so long. Letting people close meant the risk of losing them.

"Excuse me," Sam interrupted, feeling bad for doing so as he could plainly see that his friends looked troubled. "I hate to bring this up, but Baltar hasn't stopped asking to see you since I tossed him in that cell," the marine reported. "He insists that he has some very important information about the Cylons that could help us. I figure it's just a trick but I thought you should know."

Kara swiped away her tears and shifted into command mode again. She took Joey from Lee and kissed the girl before depositing her into Sam's arms. "I need you to take them to Anna Laika," she informed the man as she crouched down and faced Kasey. "You go with Sam now, okay," she told the child. Kasey surprised Kara by reaching out and hugging her. But the embrace felt as natural as when she held Joey, and Kara was shocked by how quickly she'd become attached to the girl.

She stood up and placed Kasey's little hand in Sam's large paw. Lee stepped forward and kissed both girls goodbye, more certain than Kara that he'd see them again. He faced his friend with a grave expression. "What ever happens, you make sure they're safe," Lee insisted.

"You have my word," Sam promised. He led the children down the corridor without further delay.

**xxx**

The two commanders quickly set aside their family responsibilities and focused on the tasks ahead. Still there had been no word from Galactica and neither of them knew if that was a good or bad thing. They arrived at Pegasus' brig a few minutes after seeing Kasey and Joey off with Sam. Kara entered the small bared cell that housed Gaius Baltar, former president of the Colonies and traitor to his people. Lee remained on the other side of the door, standing guard. "Sam said you wanted to talk, so talk," Kara implored.

Baltar carried an air of superiority about him despite his recent downfall. He stood as tall as possible and puffed out his chest like some exotic bird trying to attract a mate. "I guess I expected you to be a little more grateful after what I did, helping you get the girl off that ship," his voice was high pitched and graining, the way it always got when he was nervous or fearful.

Starbuck shook her head. "So far, I'm not hearing anything useful coming out of your mouth," she wasn't interested in dancing with the man. Baltar had undoubtedly freed Kasey just to use the girl for his own gains, or possibly to woe Kara back to the Cylons. Whatever the reason, she wanted no part of his game.

"There's another ship nearby," Baltar scrambled to save face.

Lee shrugged indifferently. "There are a lot of them from my understanding. I'm willing to bet the whole Cylon armada is somewhere nearby."

The doctor was not impressed by Lee Adama's comment. He made a point to direct his words toward Kara. "Perhaps that's true, but the ship I'm talking about is different."

"Different, how?" Kara asked.

The man put a finger up, stopping her. "There has to be something in all of this for me. I want absolution for my actions on New Caprica. I want to be a free citizen of the Colonies again, and then on Earth," Baltar spelled out his wishes.

"And I want to live happily ever after, but that's not likely to happen either," Kara replied. Her laughter filled the entire brig, bouncing off the bulkheads and echoing a doubtful reply to his demands. "How about this deal?" she countered; recovered from his pitiful request. "You tell me why this ship is so important and I'll think long and hard about not tossing you out the nearest airlock."

Baltar frowned at her response. "How very Roslin-esqu of you," he tried to play down his growing level of discomfort. But he was starting to realize that he had very little room with which to negotiate. "Fine," the doctor gave in. "The Cylon ship in question is a resurrection ship."

"No big surprise there." Kara shrugged off the revelation. "They need to take along one of those everywhere they go so they can keep coming back to torture me." She rolled her eyes.

"You don't understand," Baltar chuckled, pleased that he had a slight upper hand at the moment. "You see, it's not just merely a resurrection ship, it's _the_ resurrection ship. It's a hub, the place where all of their Human Cylon forms were first conceived."

She was finally intrigued. "Meaning?"

He caught the spark of interest in her eyes. "Meaning, if you destroy it, you kill the Cylons, for real this time. No more hub, no more resurrections. Whatever Cylons remain will die one time only, like us mere mortals. They won't be able to resurrect," Baltar explained.

"Where is the ship?" Lee asked.

"No," Baltar shook his head. "First, you give me your word that I'm free once I've told you."

"Okay, you have our word," Kara agreed. "Now where is the ship?" She kept an even look upon her face as the man spilled his guts. Kara was surprised that Baltar didn't find it odd, the way she'd agreed so easily. But she remained quiet until after he'd relayed the exact coordinates. Then Starbuck slowly backed out of the cell and waited until Baltar was inches from the threshold before she slammed the door in his face.

"You gave your word!" he shouted.

Kara smiled, cocking her head to one side. "I know, but you see, you gave your word too, as President of the Colonies. You promised to uphold Colonial law and then you sold us out to the Cylons. There's a saying that I learned on Earth; what goes around, comes around. Thanks for the information; I'm sure it will come in very useful." She turned to face Lee with an accomplished smile.

"You can't just leave me here!" Baltar's yelling followed them out into the corridor.

Lee walked beside Kara, glancing over at her as they made their way back to CIC. "I think you enjoyed that a little too much," he grinned, grateful that she was on his side. Lee sobered quickly, though, knowing the seriousness of their situation. "So, do you think there's any truth to what he told us?"

"I'm not sure," she replied. "But it's certainly worth investigating. Is Sneak aboard Pegasus?"

"Yes," he answered. "Why, what are you planning?"

She smiled. "Just a little scout mission…" Kara was cut off by Tigh's edgy voice as they entered CIC.

"Galactica is in trouble, and I don't mean the Cylons are just kicking their butt. It's more like they've got a whole fraking armada on their ass," the Colonel immediately relayed. He stood at the command table with Helo and Hoshi. Yuri was on the other side of the table, listening carefully to the conversation going on, hoping to be helpful in some way. "Scouts report that they've lost two-thirds of their ships and the Cylons aren't falling as easily as they expected."

"Why am I not surprised?" Kara bit her bottom lip.

Tigh faced her. "We need to help Galactica."

"Pegasus orders are to stay put and guard Earth," Helo piped in, sensing that the chain of command might get a bit ugly in the next few moments.

Kara looked to her friend. She'd heard from Sam that Sharon was on Earth along with most of the civilian survivors. And she knew that Colonel Tigh was loyal to the core when it came to William Adama. It seemed they had a small problem. She turned to Lee with questioning eyes. "So, who is in command of this beast?" Kara asked.

Lee shrugged. He hadn't really given it much thought. She'd passed her command off to him right before going over to the Cylon ship. But then he had resigned in front of his father after the man ordered him not to rescue Kara. It really didn't matter to him, one way or the other. He'd never wanted the job and Kara seemed to be in her element when she could boss people around. Lee also had a pretty good feeling that, on this matter, they'd be in agreement. "It's your command," he concluded.

"Good," she wasted no time in thanking him. They had to make a plan. "Helo, do you really think Pegasus can take on the Cylons if we lose Galactica?" she asked the man. Helo was stubborn and loved Sharon and his daughter more than anything, but she knew he'd make the right decision. Kara watched him shake his head. "No, I don't either. She's a good ship, but if we want to win this, we'll need more than just one Battlestar on our side."

Tigh nodded his agreement, egger to get going. "Should I begin jump prep?" he asked.

Starbuck shared a brief look with Lee again and knew that they were both on the same page. She nodded to Tigh. "Ready FTL, Colonel."

"In that case, sir," Helo stood at attention before Kara. "I'd like to request permission to join Jupiter in its orbit around the moon. I want to stay close to Earth, watch for the Cylons first hand," he let her know.

She admired his loyalty to Sharon. "Then get to the flight bay as fast as your legs will carry you, Captain." Kara barely finished before he was out the door. Yuri took over his position at the communications console. Starbuck's attention turned to Hoshi a second later. "I need you to get Sneak in a Raptor, RFN. She'll be dropping Helo off on the Jupiter. And let her know that I'll be sending her a mission brief on a private channel just before we jump," she instructed the man.

"Sneak is going to check out Baltar's trustworthiness?" Lee asked, standing at Kara's side.

"Yep," she replied.

They waited for Tigh after that, seconds that seemed to pass into eternity. "Commander, FTL is spooled," he finally informed her.

She glanced over at Hoshi and relayed her question without words. He nodded. "Raptor 397 is away," he let her know.

"Colonel, count us down," Kara ordered as she quickly encoded a message and sent it off to Sneak. With that done, she listened to Tigh as he reached the end of their FTL jump countdown. "Let's join this fight," she spoke with conviction. "Jump, now!"

* * *

**To Be Continued…**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe; television shows or tie-in books.

* * *

**Wing and a Prayer  
**Part 19

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

Pegasus lurched hard to port. Everyone in CIC did their best to hold on to something as a barrage of incoming fire rocked the ship. "What is our status?!" Starbuck shouted over the chaos that surrounded her. The second they'd jumped to Galactica's position they'd been targeted and fired on. "There must be more than one Basestar out there if they're hitting us this hard," she whispered the last part mostly to herself.

"Dradis is showing five Basestars out there," Hoshi finally relayed, confirming her thoughts. "Four are closed in on Galactica and one is on our port flank. We're taking heavy fire," he needlessly added the last part.

"Why are we losing this battle?" Kara wondered aloud, recalling the specs she'd just briefly read up on Earth's mini FTL drives. They seemed the perfect thing to turn the tide of war in their favor. "Someone get me a coordinate lock on one of those ships!" she ordered. "Why aren't the other fleet ships targeting the Cylons with FTL weapons?"

"Maybe they're having the same trouble as we are, sir," Hoshi shook his head as he looked over his console a third time to make sure the information was correct. "We can't get a lock on the Basestars. I don't know how, but it seems they're shielding our attempts to jump a weapon aboard."

"And there are no other fleet ships out there," Lee noted as he scanned the dradis screen.

Yuri spoke up, "Galactica actual is on the line," he let them know.

Kara grasped the handset and held herself upright with Lee's help as another round of fire was lobbed their way. "Actual, this is Commander Thrace. What is going on out there?" she questioned. Starbuck tried not to entertain the thought of it being her fault, but she couldn't help wonder if they had been ambushed because of the time it had taken Lee to find her and Kasey on the Basestar.

"_Pegasus, you were ordered to stay in Earth orbit,"_ the anger in Adama's tone was clearly defined.

"Sorry, sir," Kara replied, unfazed by his temper. "Pegasus is under my watch again and I won't let you do this alone. Now, what is going on out there?" she repeated

There was a short pause on the line before he came back. "_Cylons figured out the FTL weapon trick real fast,"_ his voice was slightly garbled by static. "_For a while they were jumping away before we could get a coordinate lock. We managed to destroy two ships despite their heavy attack, but now it seems they're shielding us."_

"We're having the same problem," she acknowledged. "Where are the other fleet ships?"

"_Most left to undergo repairs," he answered. "I sent the others away as soon as we learned the Basestars couldn't be penetrated. The ships were sitting ducks,"_ Adama let her know.

"Frak," Kara swore. "Can you jump?"

More static filled the line for several seconds. "_Yes, but I'm not leaving," _he replied with conviction. "_You need to get Pegasus back to Earth right away. I'll buy as much time as I can here but… I think you need to seriously think about evacuating Earth. We counted twelve Basestars at the beginning of this battle. We don't stand a chance against them if our best defense is a failure. We're out numbered, Commander,"_ he concluded.

Her face paled considerably. Lee also appeared to be at a loss. Neither of them was prepared for the old man giving up. "That is not the way it's going to happen," her voice was low but grew with confidence. "There's still a chance, sir," she relayed over the line. "Sneak is checking out a possibility as we speak. Until then, we throw everything we've got at them." She cut the connection before the Admiral could protest.

The Colonel watched her carefully. "What can I do?" he was at the ready.

It was strange having Tigh completely on her side, yet oddly comforting. "Prepare for jump," she made her decision quickly, but not without careful thought. "I'm going to play a little game that helped me out during the New Caprica battle," she speedily typed in the jump coordinates herself and nodded for Tigh to set the countdown.

Lee looked over her shoulder and his mouth hung open for a moment. "Kara, that will put us right in the middle of them," he pointed out.

"Good," was all she said in reply. "Colonel, jump!"

Shortly after they came out of the jump, Pegasus was a mess. It was almost as if the Cylons had been waiting for them, knowing exactly where to fire next. Instrument panels fused out and wires were blown all over CIC and throughout the ship. Mostly they were trying to make due with manual overrides and not having a great deal of luck. The only miracle still on their side was that the Cylons hadn't managed to take out FTL.

"Commander, Galactica Vipers are targeting Basestar FTL drives," Hoshi relayed. "Three of the five are down."

Kara grinned, liking what the admiral had planned. "Tell our birds to do the same, target the last two Basestars," she ordered just before Pegasus was hit by a large blast that sent sparks flying across CIC. Kara went down hard on her knees, landing against the metal decking. She gripped the side of the table and pulled herself up. "Report," her voice was weak as she looked around for some sort of backup.

"I think the Cylons just beat us to our own tactic," it was Lee's voice that greeted her. He stood at Hoshi's console as Tigh helped the fallen officer to his feet. "Our FTL is offline and bypass power is out as well," he looked to Kara. "Now we're the sitting duck," he grimly informed her.

Tigh got Hoshi situated and both men went back to work, trying not to think the worst. "It would seem the Cylons think we're the bigger threat now," the Colonel relayed as he managed to get partial dradis up on the screen. It was a sea of red Raider blips and a few shadowy Basestar signals. But the picture was clear enough. "Four ships have turned to engage us. One still has Galactica under massive attack. I don't know that she can take much more. She's been out here a lot longer."

"Dad will never leave," Lee looked to Kara. He knew she'd understand best. "He'll go down trying to help us."

"Frak," she swore again, trying to search through the catacombs of her idea bank. "Why is this the one time my plan decides to backfire on me?" Her head shook from side to side in disbelief. Kara thought she'd had it all figured out. But apparently the Cylons were learning from their previous mistakes. They couldn't use the same tricks twice. They had to have a new trick up their sleeve.

"What are your orders, Commander?" Tigh asked, also knowing that Lee was correct.

Kara felt her bad knee throbbing but she pushed past the annoyance and got her brain back on track. She rushed through a dozen or more different scenarios but finally realized that there wasn't much left to be done. She looked around at her crew. "Pegasus has been a damn fine ship, but… without Galactica, there is no hope." She faced Lee and then Tigh. All three of them knew the truth of her statement. They'd been with Galactica from the start.

"You said earlier that you didn't think Earth could be defended with just one ship," Hoshi was the one to push the words back on her.

"I still don't," she shook her head again. "But if one of us needs to make a sacrifice here then it's going to be this ship," Kara all ready had her mind made up. "Galactica may be older and outdated but she's the one who's seen us through this far. I have faith that she'll see us through again. And if we can take out these five Basestars with us, maybe we can level the playing field just a little bit further."

"Take out…" Lee was confused. "We're not in a position to take one of these ships out, let along five," he made his point known. "We could try to ram one on what little propulsion we have left, maybe hit another in the aftermath, but, all five?" he couldn't grasp the possibility.

She didn't respond to his question. "Hoshi, coordinate an immediate evacuation. Send as many civilians as you can back to Earth, but all personnel should transfer to Galactica. And make sure you get Gaius Baltar out of the brig," she added the last, feeling somewhat charitable but mostly thinking that he might still be of some strategic use to them. Starbuck turned around as Hoshi hobbled past her and out of CIC as quickly as he could. "Colonel, I need you to get five nuclear warheads set for detonation."

"But we still can't get a lock," Tigh noted.

"We don't need one," Kara grinned dangerously. She ran her hand over the Pegasus schematic on the table. "I want one nuke placed in each corner of this ship," she pointed to the places with her index finger. The digit then came to rest in the middle of the ship diagram. "The last one should be positioned in the centermost chamber. We're going to keep these bastards as close as possible to us..."

"And then detonate Pegasus as one giant nuke," Lee concluded, finally understanding. He had to admit, it was a pretty good plan.

Kara nodded. Then she was on the line again. "Galactica, this is Pegasus actual. We need you to keep that last Basestar as tight as possible to the others, and protect your FTL at all cost. When I give you the word, you jump to safety rendezvous point Beta," she instructed, looking over the pre-designated meeting spots.

"_What have you got planned, Commander?"_ Adama was wary of her instructions.

She'd expected as much. "All you need to know is that it will work," she replied. "We'll meet you at Beta location."

A long moment of silence followed. "_Understood,"_ he finally agreed.

The line was cut again and Kara turned to Lee, knowing they were running out of time. Adama had just put his faith in her again and she couldn't let him down. And she couldn't focus unless she knew the three people she cared about most were taken care of. "I want you to get Joey and Kasey on a shuttle," she tried to keep an even keel to her voice, not wanting to get choked up in front of Tigh and the others.

Lee shook his head. "Kara, I'm not leaving without you," he swore.

"I'll be right behind you. I'll see you on Galactica," she insisted. "I know Sam will protect them but I need you to make sure they get off this ship. Please."

He could tell there would be no more argument allowed and nodded his head in agreement. Then he reached out and cupped her check, kissing her quickly before she could protest. Lee didn't give a frak about protocol, thinking that he might not ever see her again. "Right behind me," he reiterated her words as he backed away slightly.

"Promise," she pushed him away and turned back to her duties. With the others out of CIC she was left to man what few weapon controls they had left. Kara waited for a long time, which was probably only a matter of a few minutes. Not able to hold off any longer, she looked to Tigh. "Are they set?"

"Almost, crews have the weapons in place. But it's going to take a few more seconds to arm the remote detonators," his fingers flew across the keypad. "Got it," he looked up. "Let's get off this beast before we end up taking a permanent space nap with the toasters." Tigh moved toward the exit.

Kara watched the Colonel duck out into the corridor. She remained just a moment longer, looking over the mighty ship that had been in her command for a short time. "Thank you," she whispered good-bye as she fled the area, catching up to Tigh. They rushed through a maze of corridors, which were strewn about with broken bulkhead components and tangled wires. It was hard to remember the pristine ship that it had once been.

On the flight deck they were greeted by the reassuring sight of one Raptor and one Russian commander with an urgent look on his face. "Come on!" he hurriedly waved them forward and helped Kara up into the shuttle as her knee gave a groan of protest. "We are the last ones, other than the men who set those nukes. They should be joining us very shortly," Yuri informed them.

"Where's the pilot?" Tigh peered into the cockpit.

Yuri looked to the Commander. "I hoped you would do the honors. There was no one left," he explained.

"Fine by me," Kara slipped into the pilot seat and pushed past the pain in her knee to get the ship going. "Did you see Lee?" she asked Yuri as the engines roared to life.

The Russian nodded but turned away as he ushered the final crew members aboard the shuttle and deftly closed the main door. He then sat down beside her in the co-pilot's seat and impressed her further by helping the launch process. "Commander Adama went with my wife, Peter and the girls. The only way I managed to get him off this ship was to promise I wouldn't leave you behind."

Kara chuckled softly as they slowly rose off the flight deck and moved into the launch bay. They cleared the ship a few seconds later and were immediately hit by an ambush of Cylon fire. "Hold on boys!" Starbuck darted around streams of weapon fire, buying time as she spooled up their jump drive.

"Those warheads are due to detonate in about three seconds," Tigh mentioned in a not so subtle hint to get her in gear. He felt the odd pull of the FTL jump a moment later, feeling as if his bellybutton were being sucked up through his nose. In the forward view window, Kara could just make out the first wave of Pegasus' giant nuclear blast before their Raptor melted into the haze of stars.

**xxx**

Galactica sat, adrift among the stars, licking its wounds as they waited for word from Pegasus. Adama twisted his hands nervously as he stood in the middle of CIC, staring up at the dradis screen with expectant eyes. He was just inches away from giving the order to jump back when Gaeta broke the tense silence in the room. "We're getting multiple contacts on dradis, they're colonial signals," he relayed.

"Commander Adama is requesting clearance for the shuttles to land," Dualla added.

The old man was confused. "Shuttles? Where is Pegasus?" he asked.

Gaeta looked over the dradis but didn't spot the large Battlestar signal. "I'm not sure, sir. She's not showing up here, maybe she jumped back to Earth," he offered up an explanation.

"No," the old man shook his head. "She wouldn't head back to Earth and leave Lee out here. Commander Thrace said she'd meet us at Beta rendezvous," he looked to Roslin with concern etched across his face. "If she's not here then something has happened." The Admiral didn't know how many more occurrences he could handle of Lee showing up without Kara in tow. Not to mention he had no idea where Tigh was either. He didn't like his people being so scattered. "Get me…"

"Starboard landing bay has just cleared over a dozen shuttles to land," Dualla interrupted the old man in mid-sentence. "Chief Tyrol has informed me that Commander Thrace and Colonel Tigh are on one of those shuttles. They're due in any minute now," she relayed the information she'd been given.

"Where the frak is Pegasus?" Adama growled under his breath as he made for the exit. Roslin was close at his heels as they quickly worked their way toward the flight deck.

She could sense the unease rolling off him. "I think it's safe to assume that Pegasus has been lost," the President ventured.

Adama's jaw twitched. "I told them to return to Earth, I told Lee to fraking stay there in the first place."

Laura Roslin had come to know William Adama quite well over their time together fighting the Cylons. She'd learned when to push his buttons and when to steer clear of certain subject matters all together. Lee and Kara were two such subjects that she usually tried to stay out of. So she walked beside him, one hand at his arm in a supportive gesture. Some days that was all she could do for the stubborn old admiral.

He entered the flight deck with fire in his belly, but some of it ebbed as he spotted Lee crossing the expansive bay toward him. He was carrying a little girl in his arms. It wasn't his granddaughter but a slightly older child with golden hair and eyes that reminded him a lot of Kara. He tried to make his face stern as he greeted his son. "Where is Pegasus?" he asked as Sam came to join the small group.

The marine had Joey safely in his grasp. "I need to help direct personnel," he said as he looked between the Admiral and the president, deciding which would be the better choice. Finally he passed the baby off to a somewhat surprised Laura Roslin.

Sam promptly left the scene as Lee faced his father. "We had to sacrifice Pegasus, to get you out of there, to destroy those five ships," he informed his father. "Kara has another plan," he added.

"Of course she does," Adama sighed.

"You're upset."

They all looked up at the sound of Starbuck's voice as it called out over the busy flight deck. As they neared, Tigh acknowledged the old man with a nod of his head. The Colonel stood at Kara's side as she watched Adama, trying to gauge what his reaction would be. "Yes," he answered. "I am upset. You just destroyed the best chance we had at defending Earth. With two Battlestars, we stood half a chance, but now…" his words echoed the ones she'd spoken not too long ago.

"Like Lee said, I have another plan," Kara's tone was confident.

Lee stood beside her. "Before we get into all that," he looked to Kara a moment and then back over at his father. "I need to ask you to do something for us."

Adama's brow furrowed. "You are in no position to be making demands here."

Lee nodded, clearing sensing that his father was still angry over the stunt he'd pulled earlier. "I understand that, sir," he was sure to be polite. "I don't have a demand to make, it's a favor. A son asking his father for a favor," Lee implored upon the shaky bond between them, the one that had been bent so many times but stubbornly refused to break.

"What?" Adama let his guard drop. He couldn't recall his son ever asking him for a favor.

"Marry us, Kara and I," Lee replied. "Now."

The old man's eyes widened ten-fold. "Excuse me?"

"As Admiral of the fleet you have that privilege," Lee pointed out.

"Yes," Adama was guarded again, unsure what to think of his son's request. He looked to Kara for a moment, surprised that she didn't seem alarmed in the slightest by Lee's mention of marriage. "You just destroyed five Cylon Basestars out there; I'd say that the odds of another one, or several, showing up at any moment are pretty good."

Kara nodded along. "I'd say those odds were better than good, sir," she replied.

"Then we should do this quickly," Lee wasn't about to back down.

Adama looked around at Tigh and then Laura. They both had no protests to offer. He faced Lee again, still not knowing what to do. "Is this some sort of a joke?"

"No, sir, no joke," Lee was sincere. "Since this war started you've been trying to instill hope in this fleet. You gave them the promise of Earth," he looked to his father as he spoke those words. "And you," he turned to Roslin. "You told us that there'd be bright, shiny futures waiting for us there. Well, Earth isn't perfect and I don't know if it will ever be home for us. I don't know if we'll be alive at this time tomorrow. All I know is that Kara is my true home, my hope. Maybe this isn't the best time, but…" he shrugged, unable to say any more on his behalf.

The old man felt a tug inside that hadn't been there in quite a while. Laura Roslin had started the avalanche in his heart and it seemed his son had plans to finish him off. "If I do this," Adama began. He glanced over at Kara and then to his son again, shaking his head. "If I marry you, will the two of you finally learn how to work out your problems with words rather than fists?"

Barely a second passed before they replied in unison, "Probably not."

Laura chuckled as she bouncy little Joey in her arms, amused by the two officers despite all the trouble they'd caused along the way. She continued to smile as Adama turned to her with a glare on his face. The president wasn't frightened by his warning. "Well, ask a stupid question," she shrugged. "At least they're honest."

"We can't make any promises, dad. But we'll try," Lee added. Kara nodded in agreement.

The Admiral sighed. "Then I guess that's all I can ask for," he resigned. "Actually, I do have one other question," he eyed the child that Lee held. "If we're about to have ourselves a marriage ceremony, I'd like to know who all of the guests are."

Lee gently ran a finger over the quiet girl's cheek and got a smile to bloom on her face. "This is Kasey," he told his father, looking over at Kara. She shook her head slightly and Lee agreed to her silent request. "She recently lost her mother, so she'll be under our care for a while," he concluded.

William Adama wasn't a fool; he could see in Kara's eyes that there was much more to the story. But he let the matter drop as a happy feeling settled in his stomach. It was the most bizarre time for what he was about to do, but somehow, it seemed fitting. And he was pleased to be such an important part of it. "Lend me your ears!" his voice boomed across the flight deck and the men and women gathered there stopped what they'd been doing. Yuri, Anna and young Peter closed up around the group. Hotdog wore a goofy grin as he moved in a little closer. Tyrol put an arm around Cally's waist. Racetrack, Jabber and the other officers all gave their full attention. The admiral nodded for his son to begin.

Lee stood there in his flight suit, sweaty and tired. Kasey had been put down to stand between him self and Kara. Joey was still with the president. The safety of the girls weighed heavily on his mind, and he was fearful that they'd have to flee Earth just as they'd fled their home worlds. But for one brief moment he let all of those things drain from his mind and focused on the woman he was about to vow his life to. "I'm not really sure what sort of promises I can make here," he spoke seriously, but with a half-smile on his face. "I don't know if we'll have any of those things most couples dream about like a house or years together to grow old and gray," Lee sighed. "All I can tell you is that I love you. And I'll be there for you, Kara. I'll be a shoulder to lean on for as long as you'll have me. That's the promise I give you this day."

Kara felt a bit out of place, never having imagined herself getting married. Her life with Zak still felt like a dream most days and after his loss she'd never let the thought re-enter her mind. But Lee's persistence had worn her down and here she stood, happier than she ever thought possible, despite the fact that the Cylons were on their tails again. "There are so many promises I want to make to you, Lee. But I'm afraid I'll mess them all up like I usually do," she spoke honestly. "I'm sure it's not traditional to admit you'll screw up in the middle of your wedding vows, but when have I ever been traditional?" she shrugged. "There's just one passage from the sacred colonial marriage ritual that I'd like to recite," Kara took his hand in hers. "In body and soul, I weave my life to yours, Lee. That's the promise I give you this day."

Adama nodded his approval. "In keeping with this non-traditional ceremony, I will make this brief," he informed them, placing his right hand atop theirs. "Marriage is not the end of one life and the beginning of another. Rather, it is the blending of two lives to move onward and further your journey. It is not a destination but a jumping off point, with no beginning and no end," he intoned. "By the power I have been given as ship's Admiral and under the witness of those gathered here today, I pronounce that you are joined in marriage." He looked out to those surrounding them. "What has been brought together this day, let no one break apart, or face the wrath of me," he concluded.

"So say we all," Roslin responded with a tear in her eye.

"So say we all!" the rest of them joined in. "So say we all! So say we all!"

The crowd faded from view as Lee focused solely on Kara. He leaned in and kissed his wife. "I love you," he whispered the words against her lips, and was pleased when her response was the same. She rested her head against his shoulder and they stood there for a short eternity. For one perfect flash in time, it was just the two of them, bonded by the vows of marriage. It didn't last nearly long enough.

"Admiral!" a shout cried out over the crowd that was still offering their congratulations. "Commander Thrace!" a young male officer was wading toward them. He caught his breath as he faced Adama. "CIC just received a message from Lieutenant Tereshkova. She's bringing in her Raptor now. The lieutenant claims to have important news for you."

"I guess that means the honeymoon is going to have to wait," Kara quipped as she reluctantly pulled out of Lee's embrace. She quickly assessed the situation, pleased to find Yuri steadfast at her side. Kara took Joey from the president and turned to Laika's wife, Anna. "I hate to keep asking this," she nodded toward the baby, smoothing a hand over Joey's soft cheek.

Anna smiled, happy to be a help to her friends. "It's no trouble. They'll be fine," she insisted, taking Joey into her arms with a welcome smile. The woman glanced down at Kasey and beckoned for the child to come to her. The girl easily obliged as her curious eyes looked up to Lee and Kara.

Lee hated how they kept having such brief moments with the girls before rushing off. But he hoped it would all be over real soon, one way or the other. He crouched down and hugged Kasey, not knowing what to tell her except what was in his heart. "I love you." He stood and kissed Joey goodbye too, whispering the same words in his daughter's ear.

With their goodbyes said, Kara and Lee remained with the Admiral and Roslin as Anna and Peter guided the girls off. Yuri and Tigh stayed behind as well. They were joined shortly by the other Earth officer, Sneak. The stalwart woman wasted no time in getting to her point, relaying the information to Starbuck. "There is a ship, exactly where you said it would be. The data readings I took are similar to the resurrection ship information that you gave me, but the one I just saw up close out there is much bigger," she pointed out.

The woman stepped aside as Kara turned to the Admiral. "I think Baltar might be telling the truth, for once in his miserable life." She then further explained what the former president had told them about the hub ship.

Before Adama had much time to think about the matter, their conversation was interrupted by another officer. This time the man handed the Admiral a slip of paper and then left. The old man read the brief message that had been printed out form CIC. He folded the paper and looked up. "It's a report from lieutenant Agathon. He was just contacted by the Raptor scouts that we have positioned at Mars. Three Basestars were spotted there. The report concluded that they are on direct route to Earth."

"They've found the thirteenth colony," Roslin stated the obvious, her worst fears realized.

Adrenaline rushed through Kara's veins as she listened to the news. She bounced on her toes to get the Admirals attention. "Sir, request immediate permission to take a small Viper squad out and destroy that ship."

"Who do you want?" he didn't hesitate for a second.

Starbuck needed no time to think it over. "I want Jabber and Hotdog. Racetrack and Sneak to back us up, and," she turned to Lee. "If you think you can still fly, being an old married man and all now," she teased.

"I can fly," he easily agreed, glad that she'd asked for his help.

"Just four Vipers?" Adama thought it seemed like a very small squad indeed.

She nodded. "There are three Basestars on their way to Earth," Kara pointed out. "If the original twelve you mentioned still holds true, that leaves us with five, which means we still have two missing Basestars lurking around out there somewhere. My guess is that they are lurking real close to the other Basestars near Earth. If they've scanned Earth they know it's the only habited planet in this system. They won't be looking anywhere else. Do you think you or Earth can spare any more Vipers?"

"Not if they join the fight at Earth," the old man shook his head. "But what if those Basestars find you at the resurrection ship?"

Kara gritted her teeth. "Well, sir, that would be bad," she agreed. "But I can get the job done with four."

"Chief!" the Admiral shouted across the bay. The man in question quickly joined them. "I need you to get four Vipers ready to launch, as quickly as possible," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," Tyrol replied. "We'll have them ready to roll out in ten minutes," he gave the confident answer before racing off to give his crew the order.

"Commander Laika," Adama turned to the man. "Will you please follow Colonel Tigh to CIC. I hear you did a fine job as liaison on Pegasus. I'd like you to take up position here on Galactica," he nodded for Tigh to leave them. The old man was left to face his family, his son and new daughter-in-law. Roslin was still close too, he all ready considered her family as well. "We keep doing these good-byes and it never gets any easier," he spoke just before hugging Lee tightly. "I love you," he whispered to his son. "Be safe."

Lee returned the sentiment and Adama turned to Kara. "I'm not saying good-bye this time either," she warned.

He pulled her close. "Then I'll just have to settle for, I love you," he whispered the same words in her ear as he had to Lee. If he'd learned one thing, it was that life was too short and too precious to hold grudges. He accepted the fact that she'd always be a rogue and that she'd probably destroy more ships and escape further close calls by the skin of her seat. It was just the way she operated, and he did love her for it.

Kara surprised the old man, and herself too, as she held on tighter. She hadn't felt the sort of fatherly love that he gave her, since her own father had last held her in his arms all those years ago. She'd been too young back then to realize that the moment might not come again to give a proper reply. Kara wasn't going to make that mistake again. "I love you too," she pressed the words against her lips, finally letting him know just how much he meant to her.

They separated and Adama saluted them both before taking his leave with Roslin once again at his side. Lee wrapped his arm around Kara's waist. He didn't care that the flight deck was aflutter of activity. Most of them had just witnessed their wedding so he didn't mind how close they saw him get to his wife. He chuckled aloud at the last thought. "My wife," he rolled the words around on his tongue.

"You think that's funny?" Kara asked.

"A little bit," he nodded in a teasing manner. It could be the end of the world again in a matter of hours, and they were teasing each other. Somehow, it seemed right. They'd spent too many hours, months, years, trying to be serious and force down their true feelings. He felt like he was on top of the world and he didn't care if it was the wrong moment to feel that way. An idea suddenly formed in his head as they approached the two Vipers that Tyrol had indicated would be theirs. He looked around and spotted the instruments needed to carry out the task.

"What are you doing?" Kara asked as he let go of her, dashed over and grabbed a can of paint and a brush. Lee got a ladder and pushed it over to the closest Viper. He hid the area from view as he painted, blocking it the best he could with his torso and arms. "Lee?" she grew a bit impatient. "We need to go, and you're wasting time…"

She didn't finish as he finally jumped down the steps and landed beside her, paint on his right hand and a satisfied smile on his face. Kara looked up to see a messy painted scribble of letters that read: Cdr. Kara Adama. "What do you think?" he asked.

"Well," she shook her head, trying not to laugh. "I think it's rather archaic of you, marking me with the Adama name."

Lee laughed outright at her comment as he set the paint can and brush aside. Then he unzipped his flight suit and turned so that his tattooed arm was directly in her line of sight. "Let me just remind you that you marked me first; I figured it was only fair. Besides, you've been an Adama for a long time." He pulled the suit back up and moved toward her again. "Face it, Kara _Adama_, you're stuck with me," Lee grinned and pulled her close again, stealing one last kiss.

**xxx**

"Jabber, you're on my left. Hotdog, right. Apollo, cover my six," Starbuck quickly ordered as they came out of their jump. She could all ready see the massive Cylon ship in the distance and was thankful that the chief had gotten them four ME Vipers. With their stealth mode, she prayed that the Cylons would never even know they were there. She switched to another wireless channel. "Sneak and Racetrack, hold tight at your current position. If you don't hear from any of us in twenty minutes, high tail it back to Galactica," she instructed. "We're going in."

The four Vipers flew in formation and reached the hub ship in a matter of seconds. All they got on dradis was a few Raiders circling a guard patrol around the resurrection vessel. "There must be a catch. Why would the Cylons just leave it sitting here unguarded if it's as important as Baltar claims it to be?" Hotdog didn't like the creepy feeling in the pit of his stomach, the one telling him they were flying into a trap.

"The catch is, the Cylons are cocky and over confident," Starbuck replied. "They don't expect us to have any knowledge of this ship…" the words were barely out of her mouth when her Viper beeped an alarm in her ear. She looked down at the enemy signal on her dradis that had just jumped nearby. It was a Basestar, one of the missing two, she was willing to bet. "Me and my big fraking mouth," she swore under her breath.

Lee tried to be the voice of reason. "They can't see us, we're fine as long as we stay calm," he pointed out.

"Yes, but I'm guessing they'll get a clue once we start firing weapons," she replied. "We don't even know the weak points on this thing. We need a plan," Kara hated to admit it but she was tired of hearing those words emit from her own mouth. Mostly because the last few plans up her sleeve had not gone as well as she'd hoped. "Apollo, Jabber, you'll be the decoy as Hotdog and I make the run." The plan was simple, get close enough to jump a nuke and then get the frak out of the way. Tyrol had only had time to rig one nuke and it was riding under her bird. "Don't fire unless it looks like they're coming after us."

"Understood," Lee acknowledged. He broke off and Jabber followed him as they carefully flew across the Basestar's bow. "I don't think they know we're here," he happily took note.

"Good," Kara hoped that held true. "Hotdog, cover me," she dipped her Viper and went full thrust, zooming past the Basestar and down the belly of the Hub ship. "Frak, frak, frak!" she swore as she swooped up and back the other side. "I can't get an FTL lock inside that ship. What about you, Hotdog? Tell me only good things."

"Sorry, sir," the pilot replied. "I can't get a lock either."

"Okay," Kara sighed. "We do this the hard way. Hotdog, I think it's time we show these frakers that they have company. I want you to target their sensor array. We'll see if that stops them from blocking our signals."

"Copy that," Hotdog followed her order and opened fire. A large explosion rocked the hub as he hit his target dead on. "Sensor array is toast!" he whooped. The victory was short lived as the hub ship opened fire. Lasers of gunfire arched in all directions. "I guess that answers the question of whether this thing has defenses or not," the pilot's voice was strained as he dodged the weapons and fired back. "If you're going to do this, might I suggest you do it now Commander!"

Lee monitored the action and was on alert the second his charge began to twitch. "The Basestar is moving to intercept, Starbuck," he let her know. "I'd say they know that someone is here. If you can't make it on this pass I think we should clear out, regroup and start again," he suggested.

"We are not leaving until that ship is dust," Starbuck replied. "They could be long gone by the time we regroup. I'm guessing the only reason they haven't jumped yet is because they can't see us." She dipped and weaved around the weapons fire until she lined up her run again. But a similar result stared her in the face as she neared the center of the hub ship. "How the frak are you jamming us?" she swore, growing more frustrated by the second.

Kara knew they could risk taking a guess at the approximate location and jump the weapon as close as possible. But the chances of completely destroying the ship were diminished in that scenario. Which meant the Cylon ship could regenerate. They needed to completely decimate it, leaving chunks no bigger than a toaster. Her bird continued forward and edged past a large opening in the side of the hub ship. She glanced down the passage and made a snap decision. "I've got an idea," was all she relayed to her team before she dove into the labyrinth of Cylon ship construction.

"Starbuck!" Lee's voice shouted frantically. "Damn it, what do you think you're doing?" he asked. "Get out of there, now!"

"Had to make a new plan," she replied shakily as she maneuvered through several tight spots. "This will work," she spoke softly, more as a means to convince herself. A few minutes in, Starbuck looked at her screen and concluded that she'd found the centermost point of the ship. She was pleased when the nuke released just like it was meant to. With her payload dropped, she started back as quickly as she could, retracing her flight through the ship.

"Come on, Starbuck," Lee whispered. "Get out," he spurned her on even as he continued to fire upon the Basestar. They'd launched Raiders and the battle was quickly becoming heavily one sided. "Come on!"

Kara grinned as she made out a sliver of stars in the distance. But her momentary elation came to a sudden halt as her ship careened into the side of a large bulkhead that she hadn't been able to avoid after coming out of a tight corner. She felt one wing tear off as her bird tumbled end over end until it finally got stuck between two large beams. "Frak me," she hung upside down in the Viper, trying desperately to assess her situation. Kara knew the bird was dead, so she attempted to pull the canopy release but it was jammed. Her left leg was pinned against the thrust column and her knee was throbbing again.

"Starbuck, do you read?" Lee's worried voice called over the wireless. That was one thing that still seemed to be working. She looked at the panel and realized that one other system was operational. "Damn it, Starbuck. Answer me!"

"I read you," she finally replied. Kara took a deep breath. "There's been another change in plan," she spoke with a heavy heart before explaining her situation. "The only thing I've got going for me is that the detonation switch is still hot. So at least I can finish my job."

"No," Lee replied, hearing the edge in her tone. "Starbuck, I am ordering you to get out of that Viper right now. I'll call in Sneak; she can pick you up in the Raptor."

She shook her head, even though she knew he couldn't see her. "Technically, you can't order me. You resigned. Besides, I can't get out. There's no time. We have to end this quickly or the Cylons will take all of you out. Promise me you'll get away."

"No, Kara. I won't leave you."

Her heart broke but she stayed strong. "You have to, Lee. I screwed up everything else, I need to do this," she insisted.

"Kara…"

"I know I promised not to do it alone," she cut him off. "And I tried not to. I let you help me this far, but I'm the only one who can go the rest of the way. I'm not turning my back on you, Lee. I love you. Now I need you to help me do one more thing. Take care of them for me. Keep them safe. They'll need you," she concluded.

"Kara, no!"

"Detonation in ten, nine…" she cut her wireless off after that.

"NOOO!" Lee screamed.

"Apollo, we have to jump now or we'll all be space dust out here!" Hotdog shouted, hoping to get through to the man.

"She could still make it out," Lee grasped.

Jabber counted down aloud, where Kara had left off. "Six, five… I'm sorry, I'm jumping now," he relayed just before his ship winked out.

"Take them all out with you, Starbuck… God." At that, Hotdog jumped away too.

Lee watched as the Basestar also jumped away. And he could almost see the edge of the blast halo just before he felt his own Viper close in on him. Then he saw stars, a great blinding sea of them. Something on his console blipped slow and steady, causing reality to smack him in the face. He finally looked down to see four colonial signals on his dradis screen; two other Vipers and two Raptors.

"Where is Commander Thrace's Viper?" Sneak asked over the wireless.

He felt the last of his resolve slip, a tear streaking down his ashen cheeks. He'd jumped, even though he'd wanted so badly to stay with her. But her last words rang true. They'd need him. "Her name was Commander Kara Thrace _Adama_," he corrected the young woman. "Wife, mother… best fraking Viper jock ever," Lee spoke through the pain in his gut. "Her Viper is gone. She's gone," he sobbed silently in the cockpit of his bird.

Nothing more was said as they all prepared to jump back to Earth.

* * *

**To Be Continued…**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the _Battlestar Galactica_ universe; television shows or tie-in books.

* * *

**Wing and a Prayer**  
Part 20

By  
N. J. Borba

* * *

There was something in her hand, something hard and cold. Her fingers squeezed it tightly.

She slowly blinked away the darkness. There was an ache in her knee that made her hope she wasn't dead. A sound in the distance grew louder and more familiar. It was a mechanical hiss of metal limbs moving toward her. She finally opened her eyes all the way and looked around. Gray bulkheads greeted her. A swath of bright red light pulsed down the middle of them. It throbbed in time with the pain in her knee. Her fingers finally relaxed and the small FTL device in her hand rolled onto the deck of the enemy ship.

The Centurions that she'd been hearing finally appeared at one end of the room, two of them flanked an entrance. They were closely followed by two skin jobs, one of a familiar female form and the other male. "So you made it?" she asked, staring at the Leoben model that she somehow knew was the same one who'd been put in the universe to torture her; the same one she'd given a message to just before killing him on the other Basestar.

"Hello, Kara," his voice was overly sweet, yet sickeningly twisted. "How is Kasey doing?" he queried.

Starbuck tensed at his mention of the child. She braced herself against the metal decking and hopped up on her good leg. The closest bulkhead provided some stability as she looked the man-machine in the eye. "Kasey is safe. She won't be conditioned by your brainwashing," Kara spat the words.

He laughed. "Brainwashing?" Leoben asked. "All we want is for her to have a happy life. We value life just as much as you do, maybe more."

"HA!" Kara scoffed loudly at his statement. "You know nothing about life. You can't possibly understand Humanity unless you understand the difference between life and death. But to you, death means nothing, it's a joke," she shook her head. "We've been fighting for our lives because survival means something to us, and you can't win against that. You can't outfight the will to survive or the will to live. So, I decided to teach you what life is really all about."

"You destroyed our hub," the D'Anna model finally spoke up. "You've killed us."

Kara realized that they still didn't get it. "No, I didn't kill you," she calmly replied. "I made you mortal. It's up to you now to decide whether you live or die."

**xxx**

"_The president won't give an evacuation order, he refuses to believe we've lost this fight,"_ Mason spoke from the headquarters at Houston Space Flight Control. He'd landed the colonial freighter that he'd been aboard earlier and was directing things from the surface again. "_It's not always the case, but the other nations are holding to our lead on this matter. No one is willing to abandon Earth,"_ the man concluded.

Adama sighed, thinking they had no time to waste on stubbornness. Then he recalled the fact that Lee and Kara were currently on a mission of the highest stubborn caliber. They had no idea if destroying the mysterious Cylon ship would have any bearing on their war at all. All they had was the hope of that theory. He imagined that the thirteenth colony was depending on their own version of hope. Kara had told him how divided the people of Earth were, but he wasn't surprised by their group efforts now. The twelve tribes of Kobal had not always been on the same side either, but when thrust against a superior enemy, they'd learned to come together as best they could.

Still, he needed to make the man understand that this superior enemy was like nothing they had ever fought before. "No offense, General Mason," he persisted with the Earth official who had fought at his side just a short time ago. "But your president has no idea what we're up against here."

"_You said that Commander Thrace took out five of those Basestars just a short time ago,"_ Mason put his faith in the woman again. "_Who's to say she can't pull this off too?"_

"I have no doubt that Commander Thrace can pull it off, but whether or not it will do any good is entirely unknown," Adama continued to argue. "I'd be first in line to go down trying to win this war, but we have to be realistic. We have foresight on our side this time. We know the Cylons are on their way here. There was no such warning when they attacked our home worlds. We're talking about the lives of millions of people on your planet."

There was no immediate response from Mason. The comm. crackled with static. "_I understand your position, but I have to…"_

"Dradis contact!" Gaeta's voice outweighed the Generals and everyone turned to hear what he had to report. "Three Basestars have just entered Earth space, near the moon. Their heading three-five-niner, carom one-one-five," he noted, looking up at the Admiral. "Direct intercept course."

More static filtered through from the Earth comm.. "_What was that? What's going on up there? We're reading a massive distortion down here, three ships."_

"The Cylons have found Earth, General," Adama gave it to the man straight. "I am ordering Athena to evacuate all colonial people from the surface. What you do with the citizens of Earth is up to you. I don't know how many we can get on our ships but we'll do our best to help. Adama out," he cut transmission.

"Sir, five more ships have just jumped into Earth space," Gaeta announced.

"Basestars?" Roslin posed the question.

"No, sirs, its Starbuck's team," there was a small degree of relief in the officer's tone. But his face turned grave as he read the signals several times over and kept counting only five.

Adama had heard the number five as well but he couldn't dwell on it until he knew for sure what had happened. "Get them aboard, I want a face-to-face report," he ordered.

"Yes, sir."

"What is the status of the three Cylon ships?" Adama turned his attention to another station, trying to keep his mind off Lee and Kara. "How close are they?"

"About two-hundred thousands kilometers and closing, sir. They will be in weapons range in approximately five minutes," the officer informed him.

Roslin paced back and forth across the CIC floor. She watched Adama and wanted nothing more to comfort him. The president wasn't stupid; she knew just as well as the rest of them that six ships had gone on the mission to destroy the hub. She also knew that the loss of one officer was nothing in the face of three Basestars headed to Earth. There was no way they could get all their people off the surface in time, let alone the masses of Earth.

Three minutes from the time Gaeta had announced the return of Kara's team, Lee Adama walked into Galactica's CIC. There was no need for him to say anything. It was written all over his face and shone in red-rimmed eyes. He relayed the mission status with an even tone. "The Cylon hub was destroyed, completely. If it was their main resurrection hub, the Cylons have become mortal. And I plan to take out every last one of them," Lee growled the last words, echoing the calm venom of Kara's vow after learning of Kasey's true parentage. "I want a ship, I don't care what ship," he shook his head.

"No," Adama walked around the table and placed his palms against the cool surface. "We're fleeing," he declared.

Lee was silent for an agonizingly long moment. "No way," he finally spoke up again. "Kara did not just give up her life for us to abandon Earth; to give up like cowards!" he shouted.

"I'm sorry, son…"

"I am not leaving Earth to those monsters!" Lee maintained his position. "Earth was our _dream_, our _hope_!" He didn't vocalize what else was screaming out in his heart. That Earth was the place he and Kara had finally professed their love for one another, the place where their daughter had been conceived and born. It was the place where they'd hoped for a better life, with the dream of a small house along the beach.

"Cylon Basestars are within weapons range," Gaeta let the room know. "They're launching Raiders," he added. "And we've got an incoming nuke, strike that, the nuke is headed toward Earth," he looked up, abject horror on his face. "It will impact on a continent in the northern hemisphere in thirty sec…"

Galactica shook as they were pelted with Raider fire and Basestar missiles. "Contact the surface, see if there's any way to still get people off, get me General Mason, or anyone with some sense on that planet!" Adama shouted.

"Sir, I'm…" Gaeta looked over his panel. "I'm not sure if I'm reading this correctly or not, but, it looks like the nuke was destroyed by a decoy from the surface," he was surprised as he turned questioning eyes back toward his read outs. "Frak me, there's something down there, Admiral. Something big…" he couldn't quite believe what he was reading. Gaeta shook his head and a smile slowly crept over his features. "It's reading as a Battlestar, sir, an Earth Battlestar."

Roslin quickly moved to stand beside the old man behind Gaeta's station. "How is that possible?" she asked. "They have Battlestars? They created a Battlestar?" the president turned to Adama. "They didn't tell us about this, did they?" She looked to him specifically, wondering if Earth had secretly informed their military commander and not her.

"It's news to me," Adama replied. He was half upset that the Earthers hadn't told him about the Battlestar. But the other half of him was somewhat thrilled. Two Battlestars against whatever the Cylons had left probably still wouldn't be enough, but it was more than they'd had two minutes ago. He and the rest of CIC listened as a voice came on over the main speakers. It was accented much the same as their friend Yuri Laika.

"This is Commander Alex Velkov of the Russian Federation, aboard the Earth Battlestar, Mir," the man introduced himself in a firm but friendly manner. "We are moving to join you in orbit around the planet and will be followed shortly."

Adama frowned, not sure what to make of the last comment. "Followed by who?" he asked.

"By the others," Velkov replied.

"Frak me," Gaeta's uncharacteristic tone of surprise echoed throughout CIC again as he continued to monitor dradis. "You're not going to believe this, Admiral, Madame President," he called their attention back to his screen. "I'm reading three other ships of the same design, all rising from the surface of Earth," he reported as he pointed out the ships.

With one hand to her mouth, Roslin couldn't stop the hopeful feeling from rising in her stomach. "Are they all Battlestars?" she asked.

More voices flooded CIC in answer to her question. "This is United States Commander Evelyn Chase aboard the Earth Battlestar, Shepard," the woman relayed. "I am Colonel Shi Jing-Mu of the Earth Battlestar, Yang," a second voice intoned. The final response was all ready a familiar voice to them. "This is General Mason, aboard the Earth Battlestar, Thrace. I am sorry we could not inform you of these ships existence earlier, Admiral. The projects were kept hidden even from some of the highest ranking officers on Earth."

"We can discuss your lack of information at a later date, General," Adama was pissed and pleased all at the same time. "Right now, we have a war to win. All Battlestars, target Cylon Basestars and fire at will," he ordered.

Galactica and Mir jumped so that they took up position behind the three Cylon ships. The Basestars we able to direct their weapons in all directions, firing in a circle around them. They continued to launch more Raiders, not seeming at all fazed by the battle. The Battlestar Yang took a serious hit as it attempted to stop more Cylon nukes from reaching the planet's surface. They lost FTL but continued forward without it, closing in on the Cylons even more.

"Dradis contact!" Gaeta alerted those aboard Galactica. "Another Basestar has taken position behind us. We have an incoming nuke headed for our port side docking arm. Contact in ten, nine, eight…"

"Brace for impact!" Adama shouted across the room. He stared at his son who stood across from him at the main table. The old man could read the pain on Lee's face and he knew the boy needed an outlet for his frustrations. "Get to the flight deck, see if there's a Viper you can take out," he nodded his head, finally allowing Lee what he had asked for earlier. If it were him, he'd probably do the same thing.

Lee's legs itched to run as fast as he could toward the flight deck, in response to his father's offer. But something stopped him. Having a moment to actually think had caused him to realize the mistake of his previous desire. "I can't," he shook his head. "I'm all they have left," Lee looked his father in the eye, Kara's words still echoing in his head.

Adama nodded again, knowing that his son had made a decision based solely on the love for his family. The old man realized that he'd never been able to be that brave. "Then get over here and help me figure out the best way to finish this fight," he instructed. Lee quickly obliged the order and Father and son worked side by side, giving out orders as a team while they directed the fleet.

"One Basestar is down," Lee reported on the action. "Mir is jumping to take position behind us and face the fourth Basestar. Yang has another by its tail and Thrace…" he paused a second as the name caused his heart to ache. But a smile formed on his face despite the pain in his gut. "She's going after the third Basestar with guns blazing. I suggest we follow her in as back up," he reported. Le knew that Galactica had sustained heavy damage in the last fight and would better serve as a secondary strike force.

"We always do seem to follow her, wherever she goes," Adama shared a smile with his son as the order was carried out.

They trailed after the other Battlestar and herded the Cylon ship away from Earth, keeping the fire fight in space rather than on the surface. "Dradis contact!" CIC was on alert again as the message spread. "One more enemy ship has just entered Earth space," Gaeta let them know.

"The last of the missing two," Adama acknowledged, hoping that there really were only twelve total. He got on the wireless to Mason. "I want Thrace to go after the ship that just jumped. We can finish the pursuit of this one," he cut the line and turned to Tigh. "Prepare nuke," he ordered. "We are not playing around with them any longer."

"Admiral!" Dualla's voice called out over the din of the room. "Sir, the Basestar that just jumped in is trying to contact us," she reported.

Adama frowned. "I have nothing to say to them," he replied.

"Sir, they…" Gaeta checked to make sure he was reading the information correctly. "The Basestar is not firing," he informed the Admiral.

"The other ships have just stopped as well," Lee confirmed.

Dualla continued to monitor the comm. "Sir, I think you need to hear this." She didn't wait for an order before piping the communication through the main speakers.

"_Admiral?"_ CIC went silent as that one word hung in the air. "_Admiral, if you can hear me, please pick up. This is Starbuck, I repeat, this is Starbuck. I'm aboard a Cylon ship and I need to speak to you. Please do not fire,"_ Kara's voice sounded over the speakers. "_I repeat, do not fire. They want to talk."_

"Is it a trick?" Roslin asked, having moved to stand between the Adama men.

Lee picked up the line. "This is Commander Lee Adama," he spoke clear and concise, not caring that he'd resigned and technically held no rank. "What does the tattoo say?" he asked, giving no more explanation than that.

The sound of laughter came over the line in reply. It was a soft cackle that certainly sounded like the Kara Thrace they all knew. The room waited for a second before her words finally came across. "_Far from home, near in heart,"_ she relayed the message.

He nodded, looking to his father. "It's her," Lee whispered. "It's her," he grinned, not knowing how she'd managed to pull it off.

The Admiral practically ripped the phone from his son's hands. "What the frak are you doing on that ship, Commander?" he demanded to know an answer before he would even entertain the idea of halting his battle. "Lee said that you were stuck. He claims there was no way to get you off that hub ship in time."

"_I didn't think there was either,"_ she replied. "_Until I remembered the mini FTL drive that Yuri gave to me on Pegasus, I'd almost forgotten it was still in my pocket. I jumped to the Basestar that was guarding the resurrection hub. I needed to get their attention. And I figured you would all ready assume I was dead, in case the plan failed."_

Lee shook his head. "But it couldn't have transported your Viper, it was designed only for small weapons and…"

"_I just held it,"_ she cut him off. "_Apparently it works on Humans just as well as weapons. I took a chance_," Kara concluded, knowing that they all probably thought she was completely insane. But there was nothing new about that theory. "_Sir, the Cylons have agreed to a cease-fire until they get a chance to speak with you and the UESA," _Her voice grew serious as she relayed the message. "_It's important, Admiral."_

Adama sighed. "What do they want to talk about?" he played along for a moment, having no real intention of entertaining anything they had to say.

"_They want to discus the possibility of a peace treaty," _she relayed.

**xxx**

_Five months later…_

Adama stood on the tarmac in the desert of southern California. It was a lovely, clear mid-spring day. Blue skies and sunshine stood guard overhead as one Cylon heavy Raider sat at the end of the long runway. The beautiful day seemed like the perfect setting for the signing of a peace treaty with an enemy that had destroyed their twelve colonies. They had persevered and found a new home in the wake of that tragedy, a home that the Cylons would not be allowed to set foot on again after the treaty was signed.

Peace talks with the Cylons had taken four long months before an agreement had finally been reached. The coordination of documents had taken another month to sort out as maps of Earth space needed to be clearly defined. All the while, Earth Battlestars remained in orbit to protect the intermediate cease-fire, but none of it seemed real yet. And it was a bittersweet moment as D'Anna, Roslin and Mason signed their names to the treaty. The Cylons, Colonial people and Earth had all taken heavy losses. No one walked away a winner.

The Cylons were escorted my marine guard back to the heavy Raider. Adama, Roslin and several others all stood and watched as the ship took off. A collective sigh of relief emitted from the crowd but the fear would remain in their hearts forever. The fear that they would never be truly safe, anywhere. As the small ceremony ended, Roslin spoke with Mason and several other leaders from around the world, still fulfilling her duty to the colonial people as their representative.

Lee stood with his father and Kara. The old man smiled, realizing how lucky he was to have his family in tact when so many others had been lost along the way. "It's going to be a little odd, two Commander Adama's in the family," he joked.

Kara arched her eyebrows at Lee. "I think I might have a solution to that problem," the younger Adama man replied. "When I resigned my commission before, it was out of anger. But I've given it a lot of thought. I don't want to serve in the military any longer. Roslin has offered me a spot on the new alliance council, as a civilian liaison. I've agreed to take it," Lee let his father know. "We need to forge better ties with the people of Earth. I know that what they did, keeping their Battlestars a secret, was underhanded. But they've agreed to let us live on this planet and that's why this is all the more important."

Adama nodded. "It sounds like you've got things all figured out, a new job, a wife and two little girls to look after," he noted. The old man had taken the news about Kasey better than Lee and Kara had expected. The reality of her existence was still a tricky subject for them all, but she was family. And family mattered more than anything. "I guess you don't need an old man meddling in your life any more."

"I will always need you, dad," Lee replied. "Maybe not meddling," he grinned. "But I do need you. More than that, I _want_ you in my life," Lee concluded as the two men embraced.

Kara took a step away from the private father and son moment. She glanced around the area and watched as the small crowd mulled around; the old Galactica crew. None of them seemed sure how to say goodbye as they were about to be scattered around the planet to forge new lives. Helo and Sharon walked hand-in-hand across the tarmac. Hotdog joked around with some of the other pilots. Sam and Jean rejoined the group after having helped escort the Cylons to their ship. They all did their best to mingle with the Earth attendees. There was a long road ahead of them, colonials trying to fit in on Earth. It wouldn't be easy but they'd faced harder challenges before.

As the others interacted, her eyes stopped and rested on one man who stood away from the crowd. She made her way over to him but didn't say a word. "I didn't just follow you to that Cylon Basestar out of duty to the old man," Tigh turned to her, shaking his head. He finally spoke the truth. "I was drawn to that ship for some reason that I haven't been able to figure out yet. Not much scares me, but that does," he admitted.

"Doesn't really matter now," she shrugged.

"Maybe, maybe not," he replied. "We've just signed a peace treaty," Tigh sighed, shaking his head. "I doubt it will hold for long before everything turns pear-shaped again. Until then, I'm going to find a bottle and sit on a beach somewhere."

She nodded. "Just be sure it's not on my beach," Kara grinned in an awkward manner. "That's an order, Colonial."

Nothing more was said between them. Kara watched him walk away, tracing the line of his sinewy form with her eyes until he was just a pinprick on the horizon. She hoped that she would never see him again. Not because she hated the man any more, but because she feared he was right. The Cylons wouldn't be gone forever, and when they did return, Earth would need its best officers back in action. And as much as she hated to admit it, Saul Tigh was one of the best.

**xxx**

"Again!"

Lee chuckled as he looked down at his oldest child who had her arms stretched out toward him. It hadn't taken him long to think of Kasey as his daughter. She was a part of Kara, however she'd came to be, and that was all that mattered to him. "Again?" he asked. "We've all ready done it ten times, Kase," he moaned in a playful manner as he watched her lower lip stick out in a pout. Lee smiled. "If you didn't look so much like your mama when you do that, I'd be able to resist," he lifted her up again.

Kasey spread out her arms as she lay on her stomach. Lee swung her around, dipping her low and then raising her high above his head as they sang together. "Though there's one motor gone, we can still carry on… coming in on a wing and a prayer." He continued to spin her around, imitating the sounds of a noisy airplane. In the background, the crash of waves breaking against the shore could be heard as they strolled along the sandy beach, working their way toward home.

He set her down again as they neared the place where Kara and Joey were curled up on a blanket. The remains of a picnic were spread out around them and Kara's sketchbook lay open to a page that revealed a simple pencil drawing of the two girls laughing and playing in the sand. In the distance, a modest house sat at the edge of the beach. It was a single-story bungalow structure with white-washed exterior. Mason had found it for them, stating that it was close enough to the military flight academy where Kara had begun teaching.

"Again, daddy!" Kasey chirped as they stood in front of the picnic blanket.

Kara put a finger to her lips as she pointed to Joey who was sleeping. She listened as Kasey kept pleading to Lee, albeit in a quieter voice. It was the term of affection, daddy, which hurt her a little bit. Kara was pleased that the girl loved Lee so much but it was hard when the child didn't seem quite as receptive to her. There were occasional hugs and tender moments, but Kasey had yet to call her mama or anything of the sort. Kara realized it would be harder for Kasey, having looked to someone else all her life in that role. Seeing Lee as daddy was just easier for the girl.

Lee sat down beside his wife and glanced over at Joey. "Looks like the birthday girl is worn out," he whispered. There was a small twinge of sadness in his heart as he thought about not being there the day that Joey had been born.

"Too much fun for one morning," Kara replied as she watched Kasey standing in front of them, still pouting about not getting her way. "I think another little girl could use a nap too," she remarked.

Kasey dove onto Lee's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "No," she shook her head. "No nap," the child protested.

He smiled as he looked to Kara. "I think we might need to start spelling that one too." Lee turned his focus to Kasey again. He pealed her off his neck and stood her in front of him, speaking softly but firmly to her. "If you don't take a nap now you'll be too tired when Papa Adama and Laura come tonight for cake," he warned.

The girl frowned as she thought over the news. "Nap with Joey?" she finally asked.

Kara and Lee easily agreed to that. He laid Kasey down beside her sister as Kara grabbed another blanket to drape over the girls. The air was still a bit cool, but summer was just around the corner. Lee took Kara's hand in his and got her to stand. "Let's walk," he nodded his head in the direction of the beach. "You know, it's odd to call her Laura instead of madam president," he remarked as they strolled.

"Just wait until you get to call her, _mom_," Kara chuckled as she watched his face pale at the mention of it. The old man had announced their engagement just shortly after they'd begun the peace talks with the Cylons. Lee had been slightly taken aback by the news at first, but he'd slowly come around, happy that his father was able to move forward.

They ambled toward the water but didn't stray too far from where the girls were sleeping. Kara turned to check on them every few seconds as she and Lee sat down on the sand and huddled close together. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and she reclined against him, letting her head rest upon his shoulder. "With Joey's birthday today, I can't help feeling bad about not knowing when Kasey was born," Kara revealed.

Lee kissed her on the cheek. "Why don't we pick one for her then," he suggested. "How about the day we found out that she was really yours?"

She thought it over for a minute. "That will work," Kara agreed. Her eyes closed for a moment as she got lost in thought. "Now I just have to hope that some day she won't find it awkward to call me mom," she sighed.

He wrapped his arms around her a little tighter, trying to let her know how much he cared and that he would be there for her every step of the way. But doubts seeped in as he recalled a conversation they'd had a long while back. "Do you regret that it all turned out this way?" Lee asked. She turned her head to look up at him with questioning eyes. "It's just that I remember after I asked you to marry me we agreed on a house by the beach and no kids. Are you sorry about the girls working their way into that dream?"

Kara shook her head. "No," her answer needed no thought. "It's not what I expected but I've come to realize that nothing seems to work out the way I expect it to," she went on. "I love them, Lee. I hope to the Gods that I don't screw up their lives, but I don't regret that we have them."

"There are no guarantees in life," he agreed. "The Cylons are gone now, but…"

"They'll probably be back some day." She finished his thought, thinking about what Tigh had said on the matter. It seemed to be on all their minds, despite the peace agreement that was just a few days old.

They looked each other in the eye, both fearing that day would come. But the waves rolled in and out, reminding them of the first day that they'd set foot on Earth. The sand had squished between their toes then and the sun had shone on their faces as they playfully splashed in the water. It had been the first big step. Both of them held that hopeful day in their hearts, vowing not to let fear rule their lives. They had fought to live, and until they were given a real reason to worry, they planned to do just that.

* * *

**The End**

Thank you to all who have stopped by to read this story and to those who left comments, I appreciate your time and honesty. Some of you might be thinking that things were not exactly tied up here, and that there are still questions to be answered. I have another story in mind that picks up a few years later and wanted to separate the two. Hopefully I'll find time to work on it in the New Year. Thanks again for reading!


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